The Gift: Awakenings
by Andrew Hildreth
Summary: Thought I'd try a new kind of fanfic. A better summary is inside. Spoiler: it turns into a romance that involves Rei. Story complete. Sequel finally posted! It is in no way related to Mercaba's story "The Gift". I had no idea the story was even out there
1. The Beginning

**A.N.: All right, readers! You knew it had to happen sooner or later, so here it is! My very first (and maybe last, who knows?) self-insertion fanfic! Hope you enjoy! One thing more: I don't own any of the Evangelion characters, descriptions, or plot devices. Those are the exclusive property of GAINAX.**

Setting: This story will be told from my first-person perspective. All of us, the Eva kids are approximately seventeen (That's right, 17. It's AU, as is my usual story setting.). Kaworu Nagisa is not the Fifth Child, I am. Other than that, most other characters are basically the same. A few other changes to the story have been made, but I'll let you guys figure out where they happen. Where my story begins, it is shortly after the destruction of the Thirteenth Angel a.k.a. Evangelion Unit-03.

Chapter 1

I stepped off of the plane and inhaled deeply through my nose. I of course smelled jet exhaust and other fuel-based smells, but I also smelled something else; adventure. I had just arrived in Tokyo-2, the major city in post-Second Impact Japan, after a long trip from the good ol' U.S. of A. The reason I smelled adventure was, of course, the fact that I had heard all of the stories that were coming out of the city of Tokyo-3 about all of the alien attacks and of the Evangelion robots.

I couldn't, in good conscience, call the Evangelions "robots", though. They were far too fantastic to be such simple things as robots. I knew that the Evas were synthetic, cybernetic life forms designed with the purpose of defeating the beings known as "Angels". I wasn't sure why creatures that were trying to kill us all were named after messengers from heaven, but I didn't think about it too much.

I picked up my travel bag and headed for the airport terminal. Once there, I was greeted by two men in black suits; NERV Intelligence Department, by the looks of them. They didn't incline their heads to look at me, but I knew that even through their black, mirrored sunglasses, they were watching me.

"Are you the Fifth Child?" one of them asked, his voice very gruff and unfriendly.

"I am," I replied, "I'd like to say it's nice to meet you, but I'm not sure, yet."

I had attempted to make some humor, but, as I expected, neither of the stone-faced men laughed, or even cracked a smile.

"This way," the man said, "The Commander sent a car for you."

I nodded quietly. So, they were taking me straight to NERV Central, to meet with the mysterious Gendo Ikari. I had heard several rumors about the man during my time with the American branch of NERV. He was supposed to be a very icy, cold man with few or no feelings. I'd have to meet him to know for sure. That's always been a sort of gift of mine: I can tell instantly about people; their fears, their desires, their personality flaws, and even their hidden potentials. All of my old friends always said that I was psychic. I don't know maybe, in a way, I am.

I was led outside to a black limo. When the door opened, I was greeted by a blonde woman in a lab coat. I was instantly struck by my gift with realizations about this woman.

She wasn't a true blonde. In her youth, she had been a brunette. She was obsessed with science and…cats. It was almost funny to sense the cat obsession. Don't get me wrong, I love cats, but I don't understand how someone can make up for not having real friends with a bunch of stuffed cats. I could also sense a lot of deeper secrets that weren't coming readily to the surface. She was hiding things from herself, as well.

"Hello, Andrew," she said in a friendly tone, "I'm—,"

"The famous Dr. Ritsuko Akagi," I finished, shaking her hand, "I've heard a lot about you."

"Have you now?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow, "Such as?"

"Such as, you're the driving force behind the Magi Supercomputers," I replied, "Such as, you're the leading brain behind Project 'E'. Need I go on?"

"Not at all," Ritsuko chuckled, "You've studied our rosters then, I take it?"

"Just enough to know about you, Major Katsuragi, and the four other Eva pilots," I answered, "The person I'm _most_ curious about is the mysterious Commander Ikari."

"Well, you're going to meet him soon enough," said Ritsuko, "We're going to meet with him now."

I laughed inwardly. When I mentioned Ikari, her body reactions jumped. I sensed one of her hidden secrets surface briefly. She was having an affair with him beyond their duties at NERV. Matter of fact, she was _sleeping_ with him! It grossed me out to think about this cat-crazy woman being groin-buddies with my boss. However, I had blackmail ammunition on her now. I could keep this stored in memory for later.

"What about my Eva?" I asked, "Has he arrived yet?"

"It has," Ritsuko answered, "Your Eva got here yesterday and is waiting in the cage in cold storage."

Hearing Akagi refer to my Eva as an "it" sort of pissed me off. I know she didn't mean any harm, but I knew that my Eva had a male personality in it. I could sense him when I sat in my entry plug. What made me feel kind of weird about it was the fact that it felt like my _brother_ was in the plug with me. I knew that my older brother was _dead_, though. He had died in a lab accident at NERV when I was about fourteen. That fact alone is what made me want to be a part of NERV; fulfilling his legacy and continuing the work he had started. Then, one day when I was fifteen, I was approached by several of the American lab technicians and told that I had been selected to be an Eva pilot. My training started from there, and I've been a pilot ever since. I've done every possible scenario on the simulator and mastered them all, but I've never faced a live opponent.

"When will I meet the other four pilots?" I asked.

"You'll only meet three of them," Ritsuko answered, "The Fourth Child was killed when his Evangelion was taken over by the Thirteenth Angel."

"Oh," I said, shocked, "I'm sorry."

"He understood the risks of his job when he agreed to be a pilot," said Ritsuko coolly, "As for the other three, you'll be meeting them soon enough, as well."

The rest of the trip passed in silence. _So_, I thought, _there are only three other pilots_. I wondered what they were like. As I rode, I ran my hands through my shoulder-length, wavy brown hair. I had let it grow since my brother died. He had also had longer hair. It was my way of making sure that a part of him would always be with me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a ponytail tie. Once my hair was back out of my face, I leaned back into my seat and closed my eyes.

A few minutes later, I felt the car being latched into place on a car-carrier train. As it pulled into a long tunnel, my world got very dark again. Then, a few seconds later, it brightened back up and I looked out the window. What I saw made me gasp in surprise. I was looking down over a huge expanse of land that was enclosed within a massive dome. It could only be a Geofront. The train wound its way down the wall of the dome in a long spiral pattern until it finally reached ground level. I saw a massive pyramid-shaped building looming larger and larger in my view.

"So, this is NERV Central Headquarters," I said softly.

"That's right," said Ritsuko, "This is where you'll be working from now on."

The transport stopped and the car pulled out. After a little bit, the car stopped and Dr. Akagi opened the door.

"If you'll follow me, please, Andrew?" she asked.

I slid out of the limo, still holding my duffle bag. The majority of my belongings had been shipped over by bulk freight. All of my important items I had placed in my duffle bag to travel with me. Among them was one of my plug suits as well as my neural link headset.

I followed Dr. Akagi into the building and immediately felt out of place. She led me with surprising speed through the winding corridors until we reached a large set of oak doors. She grasped one of the doorknobs and, without even _knocking_, opened the door and motioned me inside. Not wanting to make waves my first day on the job, I entered to dark office. Facing a glowing window was a high-backed chair. The next thing I heard in that silent space was a voice that filled me with a cold sense of apprehension.

"You are the Fifth Child?" came the, business-like voice.

"Yes, sir," I replied, "Are you Commander Ikari?"

"I am," said Ikari, turning to face me, "Your reputation as an ace pilot precedes you. I hope you won't disappoint me by not living up to it."

"I hope so too, sir," I answered, trying to suppress a chill that was running up my spine.

"You're dismissed," said Ikari, turning away from me again.

"Yes sir," I replied, grateful to be leaving such a depressing space.

As I left Ikari's office, I felt a sickening dread. The man was sick in the head! All I felt when I looked at him was obsession. He would manipulate anyone who was necessary in order to satiate that obsession. Exactly _what_ he was obsessed with was impossible for me to tell; he had it buried too deep. It went beyond his thoughts. It was a part of who he was, now. He didn't even care about his extra-curricular affair with Dr. Akagi. She meant nothing to him; just an outlet for his animalistic desires. To be completely honest, he scared the hell out of me.

When I read the dossier on the other pilots, it listed the Third Child as one Shinji Ikari; his son, I assumed. I sincerely hoped that when I met the boy, the phrase "like father, like son" would not apply. However, I would, of course, have to wait until I met him to make that judgment.

The Second Child was an Asuka Langley Soryu. She was part German, part Japanese, and all attitude, if the stories about her were true. By age fourteen, she had graduated with a degree from a German university. With some help from the UN combined fleet and the Third Child, she had defeated the Sixth Angel while still at sea using only the B-type equipment (**A.N.: If you remember from the show, B-type equipment is useless in underwater combat.**). Since her arrival in Tokyo-3, she had battled another five Angels, including the Thirteenth. On one of those occasions, she had been dropped into a live volcano to try and capture one alive. I hoped that she wouldn't bowl me over with her personality when we finally met for the first time.

An enigma to everyone at NERV was the First Child, Rei Ayanami. She had no records at all, even when I pulled some strings at the American branch to try and access some of her classified files. Her past was a complete blank. This confused me. What was being hidden? Who was she? I looked forward to meeting her to try and find out. My thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Akagi's voice.

"You've been scheduled for a harmonics test for this afternoon," she said, "Just so we can get a baseline reading on your performance for our own records."

"Whatever," I said nonchalantly. After the number of harmonics tests I had sat through up to that point already, one more would hardly make a difference to me.

"Your record says that you've had no combat experience, is that correct?"

"That's right," I replied.

"In that case, we're also going to run a simulator scenario on you to see your potential combat reactions," said Akagi.

I rolled my eyes. _Great_, I thought,_ another boring run through the simulator_;just what I _didn't_ need after a long flight. I was shown to the locker rooms and told to put on my plug suit. I sighed and took my bag into the rows of metal closets. What I didn't expect to find, however, was another person in the locker rooms already.

He was a boy about my age with short, dark hair and stormy blue eyes. Immediately, I sensed a tranquil, almost quiet spirit within the boy and felt eased in his presence. He turned, hearing me approach.

"Hi," he said, extending his hand, "You must be Andrew. I'm Shinji Ikari."

"Yeah," I replied, "Wait…_you're_…the Commander's son?"

"Yeah," Shinji replied dully. He didn't sound at all proud of his father. Not that I blamed him; with a father like that, it would have been hard to be proud of him at all.

"You sound like you've got some father issues," I said, trying to make a joke, "My dad and mom divorced when I was just a little kid, so I never really got much chance to spend time with him. My stepdad was a bastard, though. I hated him. What about _your_ mom? What does _she_ think of your dad?"

"I don't know," Shinji replied, "She's dead."

His eyes fell as he told me this. _Damn it!_ I don't know why I hadn't sensed it before. I immediately tried to apologize for such a bad taste comment.

"Don't worry about it," Shinji said calmly, "I don't remember anything about her, so it's okay."

"So," I said, trying to change the subject, "_you're_ the legendary Third Child, huh? The same one who piloted an Eva on his first try without any training and defeated the Third Angel, as well as several more since?"

"I don't know about the 'legendary' part," said Shinji, blushing a little bit, "But, yes. I'm the Third Child."

"I also hear that you threatened to quit being a pilot a couple of times," said I.

"Just once," Shinji corrected me, "It was after I had beaten the Fourth Angel. I had disobeyed Misato's order to retreat and had gone after the Angel, anyway. I still don't know what she was so pissed about. I mean, I killed the damn thing. But anyway, after that battle, she yelled at me, and I guess I just sort of lost it. I ran away, and it took them almost three days to find me. I almost quit NERV and left Tokyo-3, but right as I was about to get on the train, Misato showed up and we sort of…reached an understanding. From then on, we've been like family. We live together, you know."

"Yes, I know," I responded, "I've read your files. What I'm curious about, though, are the other pilots. What can _you_ tell me about them?"

"Well, if you've read our files, you know that Ayanami has no past. All of her records have been erased."

"I know that, too," I agreed, "What can you tell me about Soryu?"

"Oh, god," Shinji groaned, "Asuka? What's there not to say? She's arrogant, brash, harsh, demanding, saccharine, annoying—,"

"I think I get the picture," I said, interrupting him. Clearly, Shinji had little trouble picking out the flaws in the Second Child's character. However, I sensed something underneath all of the loathing: attraction. I suppressed a small smile. Shinji had the hots for Asuka, and he had them _bad_.

"Well," I said, "I'm overdue for a harmonics test and then a simulator run, so…"

"Yeah, I know," said Shinji, "I'm going to be right in there with you. They told me that I'm going to be your partner in the simulator. So, I guess I'll see you in a while."

"Sure."

Shinji turned and left the locker room, pressurizing his plug suit as he walked away. I quickly stripped off my clothes and donned my black plug suit. I always sort of enjoyed putting on the black material. I won't lie to you; I keep in pretty good shape. I try to hit the gym at least four times a week for weight-lifting, swimming and cardio work-outs. That being said, my plug suit shows off my muscles to such an extent that several of the female techs at the American branch approached me to ask me out on a date. I accepted a couple of them, but none of them were anything more than a couple of pretty wild one-night-stands.

A few minutes later, I was sitting in my test plug concentrating. Every couple of minutes, they would up the difficulty of the test, until, finally I started to lose my concentration. I heard Ritsuko's voice over the intercom.

"Very impressive, Andrew," she said, "Your scores are right up there with Asuka's."

"Thanks," I replied, "Can we get on with the simulator test, please? I've had a really long trip and I'd like to get some rest."

"Sure thing," came a new, feminine voice over the comm. I could only assume that this was major Katsuragi, "Let's get you out of that test plug and into your Eva."

A short walk later, I was standing in the cage, looking up at my dark-green Evangelion. The body design reminded me of a great, European dragon with its fearsome face, claw-like fingers, and spinal ridges. I asked the techs why they had designed it that way, and they said they didn't. Originally, when the Eva was constructed, it didn't have claws or ridges on its spine. Those things had appeared during its maiden activation. The techs feared a malfunction had occurred, and so they had tried to shut it down. However, the Eva refused to be shut down, not until it decided to.

I was always proud of my Eva, but I was sort of sorry that my brother never got to see me pilot him. I took the lift up to the pilot deck and boarded my entry plug. From there, I waited to be moved to the simulation chamber. My Eva was hooked up to the virtual reality programs and plugged into an umbilical cable.

_All right_, I thought, _let's see which of the scenarios they put me into_.

The simulation started up. I was standing in the middle of Tokyo-3 with Unit-01 beside me. Shinji's face and voice came up over the in-cockpit comm. line.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied in a bored voice.

Suddenly, a massive explosion sent our two Evas flying. It caught me completely by surprise. This was new.

"_This_ is new!" I shouted, voicing my thoughts, "What the hell's going on?!"

My question was answered when a bolt from out of the blue blasted Unit-01 right in the chest. I heard Shinji cry out in pain. I was fighting not to panic. This wasn't any scenario that I had ever seen before.

"_Unit-01 has ceased functioning,_" came one of the techs' voices.

"_Andrew, you're on your own now!_" came major Katsuragi's voice, "_Let's see what you've got!_"

**A.N.: All right loyal readers and lucky people who just happened on this story, here's the deal. All reviews are welcome, unless you're just going to flame me, in which case, don't waste your time posting the review. If you do, I'll not only report it as abuse, I'll also block you from reading any of the rest of my stories.**


	2. The Test

Chapter 2

I rolled quickly to one side as another bolt nearly hit me in the chest. Piloting protocol took over and I decided to try this one by the book. Continuing my roll, I ducked behind a building and took cover. I checked my motion-tracker. Ground-level readings were still negative. That meant that my target was up high.

I peeked cautiously around the side of the building and looked up. Hovering over the city blocks, about a hundred feet in the air, was a gigantic, blue polyhedron. The thing seemed to sense my presence and lit up like a Christmas tree. A streak of light stabbed in my direction, forcing me to take evasive action again.

"I can't keep running," I muttered, "Sooner or later, he's going to zero in on me, and that'll be the end of it. Damn it! I haven't had to actually _think_ about a simulator run in nearly six months!"

"_Well, I guess it's a good thing we caught this _now_,_" said Katsuragi, "_If you'd freeze up like this on a _real_ battlefield, you'd be _dead_ already!_"

"Shut up and let me work!" I snapped at her. I immediately regretted it. She _was_ my new commanding officer, after all.

My brain worked furiously. This scenario was new to me; that was obvious. What confused me was how they could have programmed new training scenarios into their databanks. I thought that I had _seen_ all possible danger scenarios. Then it made sense. The Angels were all attacking here in Tokyo-3. The team here at NERV Central would have all the newest data on our enemies and be able to put together up-to-date training sequences. I cursed myself a fool for not realizing this before now.

_All right_, I thought, _time to think on my feet. What do I need? I need cover, and a weapon. That's what I need._

"Major! I need a weapon!" I shouted.

"_There's a gun building one kilometer west of your current position,_" major Katsuragi replied, "_Nice to see you up on your feet and thinking. I was afraid that you'd have to be given instructions._"

"Not bloody likely!" I retorted. My Eva and I moved out fast from behind the hill that we were currently hiding behind. As I moved, I felt myself getting closer and closer to oblivion. I could feel the air rushing past my face as I ran. I felt the heat from the Angel's beam as it narrowly missed me for a third time.

I reached the gun building and pulled out the machine gun that was sent up to me. I wheeled around the side of the building and rolled clear as another beam disintegrated it. I brought my weapon up to bear on the blue monster and fired a volley. I saw the phase shift in the air as its AT Field became active. I swore loudly as I saw my weapon have no effect.

"Another angle," I muttered, "Try another angle of attack."

"_Incoming!_" rang out major Katsuragi's voice.

I looked up and saw my opponent light up and discharge another particle beam. I knew I wouldn't be able to dodge this one; I had no room to maneuver. I instinctively threw my arms up in front of my face to shield myself. I didn't feel any impact from the beam.

"_What the hell is happening?!_" the major demanded.

"_We don't know!_" I heard one of the techs replied.

Curious, I looked up to see what was happening. What I saw still amazes me to this day. My arms were crossed in front of me, and the Angel's particle beam was splitting and tubing around me. My Eva's AT Field had deployed and was deflecting the Angel's beam. A sudden idea struck me.

I changed the angle of my deflection and tried to walk towards the Angel. I knew that if I lost my footing, it would be all over for me. It was a struggle, and I was almost knocked off my feet several times. However, I managed to get close enough to the Angel and change the angle of my arms so that my hands were pushing the Angel's particle beam right back on its source. The heat was unbearable. I could actually _feel_ my hands starting to burn.

With a large blast, the Angel detonated, sending me flying through the air. When I landed, I opened my eyes and found myself staring at the stark, white walls of the simulator lab.

"_Now ejecting entry plug,_" said a technician. My screen went dark and the next thing I knew, my hatch was open and the LCL was being drained from the plug.

I gagged and spat up the LCL from my lungs. I hated the stuff. It always smelled and tasted like blood, and it took me hours to get rid of the smell from my skin. I climbed out of my entry plug and was greeted on the catwalk by Ritsuko and the major.

I detected a very sensual personality in Katsuragi. She was an alcoholic, as well as a slovenly house-keeper. However, when there was trouble, she was sober and intense. She cared deeply for the children she had been placed in charge of. I sensed an intense trauma from her past. My eyes slid out of focus with shock. This poor woman had seen the Second Impact first-hand!

Second Impact. The UN's official report on the event was that a meteorite, no more than a few centimeters across, had slammed into Antarctica, vaporizing all of the ice instantly. Now, the report said that the meteorite was travelling at nearly the speed of light, but anyone with half a brain for physics would know that that speed is unattainable by anything that has even the slightest amount of mass. No object as small as what the UN described could hit hard enough to release the kind of energy it would take to vaporize an entire polar ice cap! From what I could glean from the files I could hack at the American branch, the Second Impact was _actually_ caused by the very first Angel. A research team had been studying the creature when suddenly, without cause or warning, the Angel exploded, vaporizing the ice cap and wiping out the team. Apparently, from the feelings I collected from Misato (and that's what she preferred to be called; Misato) her father had sacrificed his own life to put her in a life pod and seal her in, just moments before the main blast. She still harbored some father issues, but that wasn't anything unusual around this place, I was beginning to think.

"_How_ the _hell_ did you _do_ that?!" Misato demanded.

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"A couple of things," said Dr. Akagi, "First off, your Eva used its AT Field offensively. That's the first time that's ever happened. You used it to block the Angel's particle beam and turn it back on itself. That was a creative strategy. I'm impressed."

"Don't be," I replied, "I just got lucky right there. I probably couldn't do it again if I _tried_."

"Secondly," Ritsuko continued, "As you were moving to evade the Angel's beam, I watched your synch ratio with your Eva spike to 99. That's unheard of. One percent higher and you probably would have been absorbed into your Eva."

"Maybe that will explain why my hands hurt," I said, feeling a stinging in my palms. I was used to the psychosomatic pain from wounds sustained by the Eva, but this wasn't just in my head. My palms actually hurt; bad. It felt like I had held them against a red-hot sheet of metal for about fifteen seconds.

"It could, indeed," Ritsuko assented, "Well, that was impressive, nonetheless. Come into HQ tomorrow, and we'll introduce you to the two other pilots."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," I said, "Where am I going to be staying?"

"Well, since a lot of the buildings in the city have been destroyed during the Angel attacks, we thought you'd like to come and live at _my_ apartment building," Misato said cheerfully, "Of course, we'd have to have some kind of welcoming party for our new housemate."

"Don't go to any trouble on _my_ account," I said modestly, "I appreciate the place to stay, but I really don't like parties all that terribly much."

"Hmmph," Misato pouted, "Well, you're just about as much fun to be around as _Shinji_ is. _He_ didn't want to have a party when _he_ moved in, either. However, when _Asuka_ moved in with us, I sorta put my foot down and we had a little party, anyway."

I caught images of that "little party". Misato had gotten so drunk that she puked in the sink. However, her charges had enjoyed themselves. Even their friends had had a good time. A face came to the forefront of her mind. He had longer hair like mine, and his face was very scruffy and messy-looking. A name came with the face: Kaji, Ryoji Kaji; her old boyfriend. They had been together during their college days and had had a mainly sexual relationship. There was very little emotion, just physical contact. She had never actually had a meaningful relationship in her entire life. Truthfully, I felt really sorry for her.

"Please," I said, "can I just see where I'm going to be staying? Jet lag's kicking in really bad, and I'm _bushed_."

"All right," said Misato, "Let's wait for Shinji to get out here, and then we'll go, okay?"

"Sure," I yawned.

A few minutes later, the Third Child appeared, looking tired and a little dejected.

"Why is it that whenever we run that particular simulator program, _I'm_ the one who always gets blasted right off the bat?" Shinji complained, "I had enough of that the _first_ time I faced the Fifth Angel!"

"Wait—_that_ was the Fifth Angel?" I interrupted, "You're kidding, right?"

"Not in the slightest," Shinji answered, "And what happened was almost exactly like the first time. I come up from the catapult and get blasted right in the chest!"

"Yeah, well, it worked out for the best, didn't it?" Misato asked, "I mean, you and Rei defeated the Angel, and we're all still here."

"Yeah, I guess so," Shinji sighed.

I could still sense waves and waves of resentment coming off of the boy. I could also sense that he didn't really _enjoy_ his job as a pilot. He did it for some reason, but I'm not sure if _he_ even knew exactly why he did it. I know _I_ sure as hell couldn't fathom why he kept piloting if he hated doing it.

But, after all was said and done, Shinji still felt some worth in his piloting. I got the sense that he piloted because he was looking for the praise of others; maybe his _father_. It was pathetic.

_Don't give the poor kid a hard time,_ I told myself, _He doesn't remember his mother, and his father ignores him, as well as everyone else who isn't useful to his obsessions. I can't fault him for wanting to get some attention from someone, even if they're a complete stranger._

"All right, guys," Misato was saying, "You ready to go?"

"Sure," Shinji replied dully.

"Ready whenever," I said. To be perfectly honest, I was more than ready. I was starting to get impatient. I was tired, sore, cranky, and in _desperate_ need of a shower, and by the time we got to Misato's apartment building, I was afraid for my _life_! The woman drove like a fucking _maniac_! I don't know how Shinji ever survived this long if he had to ride with _her_ all the time. Whatever. Misato led me up to their apartment door and pointed down the corridor.

"You're two doors down from us," she said, "Here's your key."

"Thanks," I replied, taking the key, "'Night."

"G'night," Misato responded. Shinji made a motion with his head that said "The same goes for me, too."

I unlocked the door to my new apartment and stepped inside. I found a large stack of boxes lining the side of the hallway.

_Good,_ I thought, _my stuff's arrived. I can start living out of the boxes until I have time to put stuff away._

I walked by my stuff and into the main room. The first room I came into was the kitchen area. It was simple; white walls and tile floor with white appliances and furnishings. I checked the fridge; nothing. I looked in the freezer; nothing but some TV dinners and ice.

_Hmm,_ I thought, _Obviously, I'm going to have to do some shopping at some point. But right now, I'm more tired than I am hungry, so I think I'll go to bed._

I wound my way through the few short hallways that the apartment had to offer and found my way to the bedroom. I looked across the hall and saw the bathroom. It had a full shower and bathtub set-up. I was still wearing my plug suit, so I just pressed the button on the wrist to depressurize it and stripped it off. Not bothering with any kind of pajamas, I fell into bed and slept.

**A.N.: Same thing as last chapter, folks. Reviews are welcome, but flamers and spammers will be blocked and reported as abuse. Thanks for understanding!**


	3. The Meeting

Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Evangelion.**

My alarm clock went off the next day and I practically threw it across the room. It _couldn't_ be 7 a.m. _already_, I thought. And yet, the display read "7:00".

"Damn it all," I grumbled aloud, "If I ever meet the son of a bitch that came up with the concept of jet lag, I'll _murder_ him."

Yawning and stretching, I rolled out of bed, stumbled out to the kitchen and sat down at the table. It didn't occur to me that I was still naked as a jay bird until I heard my doorbell ring.

"Uh, j-just a second!" I shouted, dashing for my room. I quickly yanked on a pair of jeans and grabbed a tank top. I rushed back out to the front hallway and opened the door to find Shinji standing there with a slightly amused smile on his face.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked.

"Nah," I replied, feeling slightly embarrassed, "I had an alarm clock set. What's up?"

"Misato said I should invite you over for breakfast since you probably didn't have anything here at your apartment yet."

"Thanks, Shinji," I said gratefully, "but I'd rather just treat myself to another couple hours' sleep. When's the earliest we have to be in to HQ?"

"1100 hours," Shinji replied, "We've all got a team-synch test scheduled for that time, and, I suppose they'll use that time to introduce you to all of the rest of the staff and pilots. I'm sorry you won't get a chance to meet Toji. He was the Fourth Child. I'm sure you heard about what happened to him."

"Yeah, I heard," I said, "Well, thanks for the invitation, Shinji. Tell Misato that I appreciate it, too. But, I'll see you guys later at NERV, okay?"

"Sure thing," Shinji replied. He turned around to walk away, and then suddenly stopped and snapped his fingers. He turned back to face me and reached into his pocket.

"Here," he said, handing me a plastic card, "This is your I.D. card. You'll need it to get into NERV headquarters."

"Thanks," I said. Shinji turned and walked away.

I closed my door and walked back the hallway to my bedroom. As I flopped back down on my bed, feeling too lazy to remove my pants, I tried to fall back to sleep.

_I don't have to be into headquarters for another four hours_, I told myself, _That's worth at least another three hours of sleep. So, why the hell can't I fall _back_ to sleep? I'm _tired_ enough._

However, as tired as I was, I just couldn't drop back off into dreamland. Frustrated, I got back up, pulled off my pants and changed into a set of my work-out clothes. They consisted of a set of athletic shorts and a beat-up tank top. I don't try to show off, but they're just comfortable to wear.

After quickly putting a brush through my unruly mane, I walked out my front door and went for a jog. After I estimated that I had been running for about two miles, I headed for the train station. I sat down in what I initially thought was an empty car. After a few seconds though, I thought I heard someone breathing. I looked over towards the front of the car.

Sitting there, quietly reading a book was a girl with very light colored hair. At first I thought I was crazy, but her hair was actually pale blue. Her skin was so pale that I wondered if she was an albino. She seemed oblivious to my presence, and I wasn't in any hurry to announce it. I sat back and closed my eyes as the train pulled into the tunnel that would take us to the Geofront.

"End of the line, NERV," I heard the computerized train voice announce. I opened my eyes and stood up, seeing the blue-haired girl do the same.

_So,_ I thought, _she works at NERV as well. At least I know that it wasn't just a weird coincidence seeing someone else on a train that is reserved for NERV personnel. Strange that I didn't get any feelings off of her. She either doesn't feel, or she just keeps herself under a large amount of self-control._

With most people, I can sense at least some peripheral emotions without actually interacting with them. I wasn't getting _anything_ from this strange girl. I pondered over it a little bit more as I walked through the gates to NERV. I was stopped at the personnel access point by two more suited men.

"Name and identification?" one of them demanded.

"Andrew Hildreth," I stated, "I am the Fifth Child. Here."

I produced my I.D. card and handed it over to the guard. He looked it over and handed it back to me.

"This looks to be in order," he said, "You may enter."

"Thank you," I said, walking past him.

_Jerk_, I thought, _I know he's just doing his job, but he could still be a little more _personable_. It's not like anyone _cares_ that he's insecure about his masculinity._

I walked down the corridors, trying to find my way to a gymnasium or weight facility. I normally have a good sense of direction, but I'll admit that the layout of this place was a mystery to me. The place had more twists, turns, and corridors than a beehive honeycomb. I had absolutely no idea where I was going and, for the first time in my life, actually considered asking someone for directions. I was saved the trouble when I heard a quiet voice from behind me ask:

"Do you need help?"

I turned around. Standing there was the same albino, blue-haired girl that I had seen on the train.

"I'm sorry, but are you _following_ me?" I asked.

"I was," the girl replied, "You seemed to be lost. I followed you to find out if I was correct. You are lost, are you not?"

"I, uh, I suppose I _might_ be," I stammered evasively. This girl's eyes were _red_! I'm not talking a brownish-red, I'm talking about a full-out, bloody-crimson red. She couldn't be normal. However, now that I was interacting with her, my gift was beginning to finally give me a reading on her.

She didn't have too many opinions about things. She did what she was told, right down to how she felt about people.

_So_, I thought, _this is Rei Ayanami. She's…not what I expected._

"Where are you trying to go?" Ayanami asked.

"I'm…looking for the gym," I answered hesitantly. Her face radiated innocence and beauty. However, there was something…unsettling about her eyes. They were lovely to look at, don't get me wrong. They added volumes upon volumes of mystery and sultriness to her appearance. But there was just something…unnatural in the way they stared right through me; like she could see right into my soul.

"Follow me," she said, "I'll lead you there."

Ayanami turned and walked with conviction down a hallway to my left. I had to jog a little bit to catch up. This girl was faster than she looked. She led me along in silence for a few minutes.

"You're…Rei Ayanami, aren't you?" I asked, trying to re-establish conversation.

"Correct," she answered stiffly.

"Are you…curious about who _I_ am?" I asked, feeling kind of dumb.

"I know who you are," replied Ayanami, "You are Andrew Hildreth, the Fifth Child. You are from the United States of America. You arrived here yesterday and performed well in a simulator run to establish a baseline reading for your performance as a pilot."

"And…_how_ do you know all of that?" I asked.

"The Commander informed me," Ayanami answered, "We are here."

She indicated a door that read: "Weight training center and swimming pool". She opened the door and walked in. Curious, I tried scanning into her interests…and found myself being actively _blocked_! That was a first. No one had ever blocked my senses before.

"Please desist trying to probe my thoughts," Ayanami said aloud, "I am aware of your actions and they are making me increasingly uncomfortable."

"You can…_feel_ my thought scans?" I asked, amazed, "No one has ever been aware of my mind-scanning abilities before. How can _you_ feel them?"

"I am an empath like you," said Ayanami, continuing her steady walk, "However, I employ my empathic abilities to aid me in the piloting of my Evangelion, not to violate the sanctity of another's thoughts."

"Now just hold on one goddamn second!" I interjected angrily, "Is that what you think I'm doing; raping your mind?"

"In such base terms, yes."

"I'll have you know that I do not, under _any_ circumstances, _force_ my way into people's minds!" I snarled defensively.

"And yet," said Ayanami, cutting in calmly and coming to a stop, "You were just trying to probe your way into _my_ mind without my permission and, you thought, without my knowledge."

"No, I was not," I retorted through clenched teeth, "I was trying to _glean_ information from the _surface_ of your thoughts about your interests and hobbies. I don't have the power _or_ ruthlessness to _force_ my way into someone's thoughts without their _consent_. When I scan someone, I just get feelings from what jumps to their immediate, conscious mind. I don't probe deeper, because I _can't_ probe deeper. You got that?!"

"There is no need to lose your temper, Pilot Hildreth. I can understand you perfectly," Ayanami said coolly. Then, she changed her tone, "You were…curious about…what?"

"Your interests," I replied, still feeling rather hot under the collar, "You know…what you like to do in your free time. Like me, I like to go to the gym and work out."

"I can see that," said the blue-haired pilot, "Your physique is very impressive for a seventeen-year-old."

"Thank you," I said, beginning to loosen up slightly, "but you still haven't answered my question. What do you do for fun?"

"I…enjoy swimming," Ayanami said quietly.

"And that's why you're here."

"Yes," said Ayanami, "And…I sensed that this was where you were trying to reach. That is the real reason that I followed you. I knew that you were trying to reach the weight room. It adjoins the pool room. I was going to the pool. You are new to this branch of NERV, and as such, would not be familiar with the layout of headquarters—,"

"Okay, okay," I cut in, throwing up my hands in defeat, "I admit it. I got lost. Thanks for helping me find the weight room, Ayanami. I appreciate it."

"It was no trouble," replied Ayanami, "But I must ask you this: Please do not mention my empathic abilities to anyone else. You, Commander Ikari, and Dr. Akagi are the only ones who know about them. They must remain a secret, otherwise there will be trouble."

"Your secret's safe with me," I reassured her, "After all, _you're_ the first person I've ever met who knows exactly what my abilities are, and could sense them being used. I find that… impressive. I can't wait to work with you, Ayanami."

"The feeling is mutual, Pilot Hildreth," Ayanami replied.

"Call me Andrew," I said, "My friends all call me Andrew."

"We barely know each other," Ayanami pointed out, "How can we consider ourselves 'friends'?"

"We barely know each other _now_," I said, making a counter-point, "However, I think that we can get to know each other much _faster_ than anyone else because of our combined empathic abilities. All we have to do is open up our minds to each other's presence. And no, before you ask, I'm not trying to seduce you into dropping your mental guard so that I can take advantage of you. I've already told you that I can't force myself into someone else's mind."

"But if I drop my guard and allow you access, what is to stop you from entering?" Ayanami asked, sounding almost…coy, "You would not be forcing your way in, since I would have no defenses."

"I'd never scan any feelings that you didn't want me to read," I said honestly, "I'd never assault your honor like that. I understand that a woman likes to have her secrets to keep, and I respect that. However, I _do_ think that we can become a much closer team if we allow each other to feel what _we_ are feeling in a potentially dangerous situation. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I…believe so," said Ayanami, "You wish for me to form an empathic rapport with you in order for us to function more efficiently as a team."

"Exactly," said I, "What do you say?"

"I…will consider it," said Ayanami, "It is almost 0930 hours now. We are due in the laboratory at 1100 hours for a team-synchronization test."

"That gives us about an hour to goof off before we have to get cleaned up and down to the lab," I said, "I'm gonna go lift. Maybe I'll join you in the pool after a little while."

"That would be acceptable…"

_Andrew_.

I couldn't hide my shock when I realized it was Ayanami's voice in my head. Even though our backs were turned to each other, with our mental blocks down, I could sense her smiling at my reaction. I couldn't help but smile in return. As I walked into the weight room, I ran down my mental calendar for working out.

_It's Tuesday,_ I thought, _That means that today is… pull-ups, ab crunches, and…bench press._

I started with my ab crunches. Luckily for me, NERV's weight room had an abdominal crunch machine. So, I set up the resistance level and went about my routine: 5 reps of 40 crunches. After the crunches, it was time for my pull-ups. I walked over to the pull-up bar and started to work. After four reps of twenty, I dropped back to the floor and took a short break to catch my breath.

_All right, now,_ I thought, trying to get myself pumped, _It's time for the bench press. How strong do I feel today? Yes…it's a standard, 45-pound bar. That's good. Hmm…I can usually bench about two hundred and twenty, so… let's try 240 today._

I set about adding the necessary 195 extra pounds to the bar to make the two-forty. As I was about to lie down on the bench and get to work, I heard the door to the weight room open. In walked Ayanami, dripping pool water, wearing nothing but a white, one-piece bathing suit. Despite how pale her skin tone was, she looked less pale against the white material. The white also drew out the color of her eyes and hair, as well. She looked stunning; especially the curves of her body (which, I might add, were _incredibly_ sexy).

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"I sensed your intentions," Ayanami answered, "It is not safe for you to do the bench press without a spotter to watch you. I am here to volunteer my aid."

"That's sweet," I replied. When I said this, despite a lack of showing on her face, I felt Rei blush inwardly. I knew that she could sense that I was hiding how I felt about seeing her in such a tight bathing suit, but I wasn't about to let her in on my lustful, male thoughts.

"You know, you don't _have_ to spot me," I said after a pause, "I'll be fine if you want to go back to the pool."

"It is safer for you if I remain here and act as your spotter," said Ayanami with quiet conviction. I caught a note of sincere concern echoing just below the surface of her consciousness. It was silenced as Rei clamped back down on her mind and reapplied the enormous amount of mental discipline that reigned in her brain.

"Do what you like," I responded. Then, I got down into position on the bench and gripped the bar, preparing to lift it. As I set my shoulders and started to apply pressure, I saw Ayanami put her hands on the bar on the outside of mine. Doing this made her lean over me. Her wet hair dripped slowly down on my face. The smell of chlorine from the pool water mingled with the salty smell of the sweat on my face and smelled…actually very _sweet_. The water that dripped from her hair felt cool on my heated skin. I stared up towards the ceiling and found myself looking into Ayanami's dusky red eyes.

"Are you going to lift the bar," she asked, "Or are you going to stare at me with desire in your thoughts?"

_Damn!_ I thought, _I'm going to have to guard those feelings a little more closely if I'm ever going to get her to _trust_ me._

"I'm sorry," I said aloud, "It's just…the way you're dressed is rather…provocative."

"I don't understand your meaning," said Ayanami, sending out waves of confusion, "The way I am dressed is…_sexually_ provocative?"

"Yeah," I replied, "It's…hard to explain verbally. Can you sense my meaning?"

"Yes," Ayanami answered, a pale blush appearing on her finely-boned cheeks.

_Enough of this, now,_ I chided myself, _You came in here to work out and you're _going_ to do it _now_!_

I pressed up on the bench bar and cleared the catch hooks. I brought it down to my chest and waited for Rei to release the bar. She didn't let go.

"Ayanami," I grunted as I pushed the weighted bar up and away from my chest, "You don't—have to keep—a hold—on the bar—the whole time—I'm lifting."

"What if you should lose your concentration?" Ayanami asked, "The bar would fall on you."

"Yeah," I panted, "And having you here—wouldn't really—change that. You'd just—_hurt_ yourself—trying to—_help_ me."

"And you would not wish that to happen," said Ayanami perceptively, "That is very…gallant of you."

"Thanks," I grunted through my heavy breathing. The two-forty was beginning to really weigh me down. My shoulders weren't going to be able to more than just another few presses. I did five more and tried to push a sixth. I got the bar almost to the top of the press. Suddenly, I felt something in my right shoulder just give way, and the bar came falling back down onto my chest. I coughed as the heavy, metal bar came crashing down, almost crushing my ribcage.

"Ayanami!" I gasped, "Tilt one side off of me!"

Quickly, Ayanami pushed down on one side of the bar until the other side lifted enough for me to slide out from under it. I laid down on the floor, gasping for breath and checking my ribs for cracks. Ayanami sat down on the floor next to me and guided me up into a sitting position. I clutched my shoulder as it gave a hard, painful throb.

"Are you all right?" she asked. I was quietly shocked. More and more emotion was showing in her voice, as well as her thoughts, as the minutes passed.

"I think so," I sighed, "I don't know what happened. My shoulder just…quit. It's pretty bad, too, because this is my _good_ shoulder. I'm right-handed, you know. My right arm isn't just my writing arm; it's my throwing arm, my trigger-arm, and my primary reflex arm, too. If my shoulder's messed up, my piloting skills are going to go in the _toilet_."

"We should go to the infirmary and have you checked over before our test," said Ayanami.

"Is there time?" I asked.

"It is 1008 hours now," said Rei, "If I change immediately, I can take you down to the infirmary and have us back into the laboratories with enough time for us to change into our plug suits and be ready for the test. We will cut the deadline close to the time limit, but I believe we can make it."

"Can you show me some basic directions to give me a head start while you change?" I asked, "That will save us some time. As a matter of fact, why don't you just scan me your mental pictures of how to get there from here, and that way we _both_ won't have to be late for our test. Just the new guy is gonna be late for this one."

"Were you not listening to the plan I just laid?" asked Ayanami, sounding almost _irritated_, "_I_ will lead you to the infirmary after I change out of my bathing suit."

"Well you'd better make it quick," I said, "Because I think my shoulder is starting to swell up."

Ayanami nodded, and started to pull the straps of her bathing suit off of her shoulder before she even turned away from me. Flustered, I turned away, unable to hide the torrent of embarrassment that I knew was coming off of me.

"What is it?" Rei asked. I sensed dull confusion from her regarding my reaction.

"You're…_stripping_," I stammered, still facing resolutely away from her.

"Yes," said Rei, "It is necessary for me to remove the clothing I am currently wearing if I am to change into other clothing."

"Generally, though, girls and guys _don't_ change in the same _room_!" I objected, wishing I didn't have to. It wasn't the first time a girl had taken her clothes off in front of me, but this was a girl who I didn't know and who could also sense my feelings just like _I_ could sense _hers_.

"Do you…not like the female body?" Rei asked. Again, I sensed confusion from her.

"I know that you are not homosexual," Rei continued, "I could make that conclusion from the feelings of desire that I…scanned…from you earlier when you saw me dressed as I was. However, I am no longer dressed like that."

I sensed Rei's thoughts. She was picturing herself nude, and not bothering to _hide_ those thoughts. I could respect being comfortable with one's body; _I_ am very comfortable in my own skin. But in the company of a relative stranger, I am a firm believer in modesty; especially on the part of the female. I mean, most girls don't just go around showing themselves off unless they're a total slut. But I knew that Rei wasn't a slut; she didn't give off those kinds of feelings. She was just…different. She either didn't know, or didn't _care_ about the "socially acceptable" thing to do in any given situation. I think that she just did whatever she felt was necessary in any given situation in order to solve whatever problem might arise.

"Why are you still so silent?" Rei asked. I realized that, while I was lost in my own thoughts, almost two minutes had elapsed.

"Let's just get to the infirmary," I replied, evading the question, "That is, as long as you're dressed."

"My clothes are in the girls' locker room adjoining the pool," said Rei, "I will go and dress."

Rei turned and left. Despite myself, I closed off my mind and turned to watch Rei leave the weight room. I only caught a brief glimpse of her backside, but what a glimpse it was! Her skin was pale as milk and her buttocks were a beautiful heart shape. Despite the pain in my shoulder, I felt myself reacting to the view I had seen. I was actually starting to drool a little.

However, the pain of my body finally won out over my hormones. I clutched at the swelling muscle and groaned. I stumbled out of the locker room door and stood beside the pool waiting for Ayanami. She came out a few minutes later, dressed in a greenish-blue skirt with a white blouse and red neck ribbon.

"The infirmary is this way," she said. I followed her out the door and down a set of halls to a wing that was reminiscent of a hospital, right down to the smell: bleach-soaked death.

Another few pain-dazed minutes later, a doctor examined my shoulder and told me that I had pulled a ligament around the deltoid muscle. He asked what I had been doing and I told him that I was weight-lifting and attempted too much at one time.

"Well, I guess you've learned your lesson about _that_, now haven't you?" he asked, a stupid grin spreading across his face. I wanted to punch him out for being so condescending.

"You'd think I'd have learned my lesson about that the _first_ time I damaged a ligament during weight-lifting," I replied with as much of a smile as I could manage.

"Will this injury affect his abilities as a pilot?" Ayanami asked.

"The plug suits might feel a little more cramping than usual," said the doctor, "but as long as you give that shoulder plenty of rest for the next several weeks, I think that you'll be back up to speed in no time at all. Be sure to ice it down every night, as well."

"Can do," I replied, "Ayanami, we're due in the lab."

"Yes, and we are almost late."

Ayanami and I left the infirmary and raced for the synch testing lab.


	4. The Obstacle Course

Chapter 4

"Are you all ready?" asked Dr. Akagi.

"Yes, ma'am," I heard Shinji reply.

"_Hai_," came Ayanami's voice.

"Can we get this _over_ with, already?" demanded a rather irritating female voice. I had to assume that it was the infamous Asuka.

I still hadn't met Soryu face-to-face. Ayanami and I arrived in the V.R. lab from the infirmary with just enough time to throw on our plug suits and jump into our entry plugs before we were late.

"Andrew, are you ready?" Akagi asked.

"Check," I replied.

"All right," said Misato, "Now, the way this team-synch test is going to work is like this: the four of you will be broken up into pairs and put into an obstacle course. It will be your jobs to complete that obstacle course as fast as possible _without_ speaking to your partners."

"Sounds impossible," Asuka complained.

"Now, how can you say that?" Misato asked, "You're the great Asuka Langley Soryu, aren't you? You can do _anything_, can't you?"

"Yeah, by myself," said Asuka, "I don't think that anyone else here can keep up with me."

"Give it a _rest_, will you, Asuka?" Shinji snapped.

"What the hell's _your_ problem, baka-Shinji?!" she snapped back.

"All right, break it up, you two," Misato said firmly, "Asuka, you're going to partner with Andrew for the first run through. Shinji, you and Rei will be together for this first run. You'll also be the first ones to go through the course. Asuka, you and Andrew won't be allowed to watch them go. It's only fair that way, you know?"

"That's fine," I answered.

"Whatever," Asuka grumbled.

"Rei, Shinji, are you ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shinji answered.

"_Hai_," Ayanami said again.

I could still sense her feelings through our rapport, even though we were in separate Eva units, and right at that point, Rei had gone back to her apathetic, all-business personality. I couldn't see the course through her eyes, but I could sense some of her reactions to the obstacles. I marked them and at what time they occurred in the course. I also scanned a sense of satisfaction at how she and Shinji performed as a team, yet, at the same time, a sense of dissatisfaction at how slowly he reacted to some of the obstacles. About five or maybe six minutes later, I heard Shinji's voice:

"Done!"

"Six minutes and fifteen-point-six seconds," said Akagi, "Unit-02, Unit-04, are you ready?"

"Ready," I responded.

"Let's get this over with," said Asuka.

The simulator started up and our audio feeds went dead. I was looking at a long, military-like obstacle course. I knew that most of the obstacles would require some modicum of co-operation on the part of Asuka and me. However, co-operation was not on Asuka's mind as the starting whistle sounded. All that I could scan from her was an overwhelming urge to prove herself the best, as well as to squash everyone and anyone who stood in the way of realizing that goal. I knew that co-operating with her would be next to impossible for me.

The two of us took off from the starting line and ran towards the first obstacle: a wall. I knew that my Eva was 130 feet (40 m) tall and had the capacity to jump about fifty feet in the air. I judged that the wall in front of us was at least two hundred feet tall. That left, at a minimum, twenty feet of space that had yet to be cleared. I had a plan, and I hoped I could make the Second Child understand what I had in mind without speaking.

I pulled ahead of Unit-02 and crouched at the base of the wall with my hands cupped on my knee. To my great displeasure, Asuka ignored my motions and took a running leap at the wall. Not surprisingly, she did not succeed in clearing it. I again made my motion, more pointed and sharp this time, trying to signal the ignorant girl that I wanted to boost her up to the top of the wall. To my relief, Unit-02 gave the thumbs-up. She understood me.

_Thank God,_ I thought, _I was afraid that I'd have to spell it out for her._

Unit-02 backed up and took a running start towards me. She jumped into my hands and jumped again. I boosted my hands as she jumped, sending her sailing up into the air and onto the top of the wall. I looked up and saw Unit-02 lying on top of the wall extending her hand down to me. I smiled; she understood what needed to be done.

I stepped backward and took a short running start. I ran and jumped towards the wall, stretching myself as tall as my Eva could stretch. I felt Unit-02's hand grip my own and pull me up. The two of us jumped off the wall and crawled under a laser net. The next few obstacles were fairly standard to a military course: monkey bars, swinging rope, and a balance log (all Eva-sized, of course). The final obstacle was a doozy.

At first, I thought we had finished the course, since the two of us were standing in an empty, grassy field. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an Angel appeared and divided itself into two, identical twin bodies. I had read all of NERV America's files on the Angels up to the twelfth, and this opponent that now faced Unit-02 and me matched the description that I had read of the Seventh Angel.

_Terrific_, I groaned mentally, _The one Angel that requires synchronization between the pilots to defeat, and here it is in a situation where we can't even talk to co-ordinate our efforts. I'm going to have to read Asuka carefully and follow her as fast as I can._

I focused my mind on reading Asuka's reactions and feelings about how to defeat the Angel. She started her attack. I mirrored it against the Angel's other half. I hated having to split my concentration during battle, but if I didn't read Asuka perfectly, our attack would never work. I got a strong sense of "I've done this before" coming from Asuka, and she performed admirably; executing a daring series of aerial flips and kicks before drawing her progressive knife and throwing it at the Angel's core. To tell the truth, it was almost hard to keep up with her. Asuka truly was a phenomenal pilot…if a tad bit conceited. However, I was no slouch when it came to piloting, either. I matched Asuka's pace to within a heartbeat, pushing my reflexes to their absolute breaking points. Finally, though, the Angels fell before us. I opened a comm. line to Misato.

"Done," I said, panting slightly from the effort it had taken to keep up with Asuka.

"Well done," I heard Dr. Akagi say, "Your time was five minutes on the dot."

"I could have done faster," said Asuka, "_if_ this American _twerp_ had been able to keep up with me on the balance log."

I could have made some searing comments of my own about Asuka's performance on the very first obstacle, but I bit down my retort. This, after all, _was_ an exercise in teamwork. I instead chose to address Misato. However, she headed off any questions that I might have had by saying:

"Take a short break, you guys. When you come back, Shinji: you and Asuka will partner in a new arrangement of the obstacle course. Andrew, you and Rei will partner up. Everyone got that?"

"Yes, ma'am," we all said in unison. Then, we ejected our entry plugs and gathered in the V.R. lab's main room. I finally beheld the pilot of Unit-02 for the first time face-to-face. I had to admit, she was easy on the eyes. She was leaner in build than Ayanami, but she still had quite the figure. She took one look at me and I immediately sensed heated lust from her teenage mind.

_It's times like this that I'm really glad that I keep in shape_, I thought slyly. Then, I surreptitiously flexed myself out against my plug suit and watched Asuka squirm with absolute desire. I stopped when I felt Ayanami giving off waves of disapproval regarding my actions. I sent out feelings of apology and hoped she received them. I sat down next to Ayanami along the wall and tried to strike up quiet conversation with her.

"So…what did you think of the simulator run?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Do not try to fool me," said Ayanami, her voice quiet and cold again, "I know that you were showing off for pilot Soryu. How typically male of you."

"Touché," I countered, smirking, "And how typically _female_ of you to disapprove of a man being proud enough of his body to want to show it off in front of a woman…or two…or three. I didn't scan you disapproving of the _view_, however."

"No," replied Ayanami levelly, "just the fact that you were making a fool out of yourself in front of a girl who is not worth your effort to try and impress. She has strong feelings for Ikari, and I do not think that your juvenile antics will change that."

"I'm not _trying_ to change how she feels about Shinji," I responded, "I'm just messing with her a little bit. She was a _bitch_ in the simulator run. She was right, though. We _could_ have shaved off a few more seconds from our course time, _if_ she'd have watched me and paid attention on the wall climb."

"Ikari and I were permitted to watch your run through the course," Ayanami stated, "and I did sense your frustration with Pilot Soryu at that particular point, as well as several others along the way. I do not believe that the two of you would make an effective team in battle."

"Oh, ya think?" I asked sarcastically.

"Sarcasm is uncalled for," Ayanami reprimanded, "I was merely stating an observation."

"What do you think _our_ chances are for being an effective team in battle?" I asked.

"Perhaps better than your chances with Pilot Soryu," she replied.

"Hey!" Asuka shouted, "If you two _love-birds_ are through whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, we're due back in our entry plugs!"

"Okay," I sighed back, trying my best not to sound overly annoyed or frustrated.

"What's _your_ problem, _dümkoft_?" the red-head asked hotly.

"Maybe I'm just sick of your attitude," I retorted, "And that's pretty bad, since I've only just _met_ you, you prissy, little—,"

"We are going to be late for our test," Ayanami interrupted, walking past us into the lab.

I suppose it's a good thing that Ayanami interrupted when she did. Asuka and I were looking serious daggers at each other. I tell you, if looks could kill, NERV would have been short two more pilots. I couldn't understand why one person had to be as prissy, bitchy and downright _irritating_ as Asuka was. I stormed past the Second Child and into the lab. As Asuka entered behind me, her face just as black with anger as mine, Misato seemed to sense that there was something very wrong among the pilots.

"What's the matter?" she asked, sounding more serious than concerned.

"Nothing," I answered, somewhat unconvincingly, I'll admit. Asuka mirrored my answer. The major cocked an unbelieving eyebrow towards us.

"Pilot Soryu and Pilot Hildreth had a small altercation out in the lobby," said Ayanami, "They are still unhappy with each other."

"Thank you, Rei," said Misato. Then, she turned to me and Asuka and said sternly: "You two need to get past it and grow up a little. Asuka, you can't keep antagonizing every new person that you meet. How do you ever expect to make any friends?"

"I don't _need_ friends," the red-head snapped.

"Andrew," said Misato, turning to me, "I know your psychological history. I know you've got a very quick temper and that it's gotten you into several fights before. You've got to get _over_ it and cool your _head_. Out here, we can't afford to have our pilots fighting each _other_, when they're supposed to be fighting the _Angels_! You got that?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied quietly, staring at the floor.

I couldn't believe it. Misato was bitching at _me_, when it was _Soryu_ who had the attitude problem. Despite trying to keep a cool exterior, I fumed and raged on the inside at the complete unfairness of it all. When I climbed back into my entry plug and synched with my Eva, I heard one of the techs gasp with shock.

"What is it?" I heard Akagi ask.

"The pilot of Unit-04's synch ratio just spiked to 89 percent!" the tech said.

"How?" Akagi demanded.

"We don't know!" the tech replied anxiously, "It just happened."

"These things don't 'just happen'," said Akagi, "Something triggered this spike. I want to know _what_ triggered it, and I want to know _now_!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the tech replied briskly.

"Andrew, you and Rei are going to go first this time," said Misato, taking a cue from Dr. Akagi, "We want to see just what this spike in your synch ratio means."

I grunted in reply, still steaming over Misato's unjust reprisal of me over Asuka. I looked over and nodded to Ayanami. She nodded back and the simulation was started back up. I could feel Ayanami stretching out with her feelings, trying to contact with me as the starting whistle sounded.

The two of us took off from the starting line, easily clearing a rope swing followed by a laser net crawl. Next in line was a battle with the Seventh Angel. Now, I reached out to contact with Ayanami, sending feelings of wanting to lead this attack. I received feelings that said "lead on".

I leapt at the Angel. Ayanami reacted with the speed of thought, since she could read my feelings on how to attack as soon as I felt them. With this added advantage, our synchronization was automatically laser-precise. We defeated the Angel in a matter of a few seconds, where Asuka and I working together required nearly a full minute to defeat the opponent.

Next up was the wall climb. Ayanami understood my idea perfectly, reading my feelings and assuming a boost position. I leapt into the air towards the wall as she moved, knowing and trusting that she would be ready to catch and boost me as soon as I came down. I was right. I contacted with Unit-00's hands and she boosted me up to the top of the wall.

As I sailed up through the air, Unit-00 quickly backed up and took a running start. I sensed her leap as I landed on the top of the wall. Instantly, my hand was stretched down as far as it would reach. As soon as my arm was fully extended, I felt Unit-00 grasp hold. I hauled hard and pulled her up.

Our next obstacle was the log balance; with a new twist. I saw pendulum hammers swinging at intervals all across the beam. I also saw switches on the logs. My mind worked furiously, trying to decipher the puzzle. Ayanami's mind was quicker. She sent me images of our two Evas playing a sort of leap-frog game across the log, landing on alternating switches to freeze the pendulum arms. I was slightly confused by this choice of strategies, but I received feelings of assurance that it would work. I had no choice but to trust Ayanami's word.

We moved to act and I jumped onto the first switch, dodging the first pendulum in the process. The first two pendulums froze in place. Ayanami leaped and vaulted over my back as though I was a vault horse in a gymnasium. With cat-like agility, she landed on the second switch. The third pendulum froze.

I leaped off of the first switch and vaulted over Unit-00, landing on the third switch. While the first arm began to swing again, the fourth one, the one in front of me, froze. Ayanami again leapt overtop of me and sailed onto the fifth and final switch. The pendulum behind me resumed its motion as I propelled myself into the air and overtop of Unit-00, landing safely on the other side of the log. Rei was right behind me, and as she landed, I was already in motion, bound for the final obstacle: a rope swing.

_This one's gonna be tough,_ I thought, taking in the obstacle.

The rope swing consisted of a series of two ropes. One was up high enough in the air that I knew one of us would have to boost the other into the air in order to grab it. Dimly in the distance, I spied a second rope that looked like it was longer and hung lower. Making the obstacle threatening was a pit of red-hot lava that bubbled underneath the ropes. My mind was made up. Ayanami read my plans and moved to a position herself to boost me up into the air. I was amazed.

_She's showing an awful lot of trust in my abilities to analyze the situation_, I thought seriously, all the while racing towards her and preparing to jump.

Ayanami reached her position and set up to boost me. I quickly gauged the distance and jumped into Ayanami's hands. She must have done some calculations of her own, because she boosted me perfectly through the air and up to the rope. I stretched out and gripped the rope and started my swing across the lava pool. I saw the other rope coming quickly into range and let go with one hand to grab it. As the first rope reached the other end of its arc, I felt my grip slipping. Frantically, I grabbed for the other rope and just managed to grab it with my left hand as my right hand painfully lost its grip.

My Eva wrapped both of its hands tightly around the second rope as I started to swing back towards Rei. I realized that I was too high on the rope for Unit-00 to grab a hold of my hand, so I slid down the rope until I was satisfied that I could grab Unit-00 and keep her above the surface of the lava. I sent a mental image depicting the next step of the puzzle to Rei and waited for her to follow through.

Ayanami sent me back reassuring thoughts as she jumped into the air from the shore of the lake. Our giant machines locked hands once again and held tightly. The rope began its return trip to the far side of the lava lake. I sensed feelings of anxious coming from Ayanami. Suddenly I realized why; her hand was slipping from my grip. I sent a mental image that depicted Rei grabbing on with her other hand. I saw Unit-00 shaking its head.

My mind raced furiously. I was running out of clever ideas, and we weren't quite across the lava pool. If I dropped Ayanami now, not only would we fail the test, I'd feel absolutely shitty. I would have failed to keep a teammate alive simply because I couldn't keep a hold of her hand because of a dumb shoulder injury.

_No!_ I thought resolutely, _There _has_ to be a way of keep a grip on Ayanami's hand. Come _on_, big brother, help me _out_!_

I wasn't really pleading with anyone, but my Eva seemed to respond to me, feeding its own thoughts into mine. I saw its thoughts depicting me pulling Unit-00 up and the blue Eva wrapping its arms around my neck.

_Brilliant,_ I thought, barely believing that my Eva was giving me ideas, _That might just work._

Quickly, I relayed the thoughts to my teammate, who sent me feelings of agreement and began to climb up my arm as I pulled it up. I almost dropped Ayanami when her grip slipped on my Eva's upper arm. My Eva reacted of its own accord, catching Unit-00 around the waist and holding tightly with its right arm. A heartbeat later, the rope reached the opposite shore and I let go. As we touched down on the bank, I opened my comm. line to Misato and said:

"Done!"

"That…was…_amazing_!" Misato said slowly, "How the _hell_ did you two move so _perfectly_ together? It was like you could read each other's _thoughts_!"

"That was impressive, indeed."

"C-commander…Ikari?" I stammered, totally shocked, "When…when did you arrive, sir?"

"In enough time to see your performance on the pendulum log," said the older man in his cold voice, "Your co-ordination is impressive, Fifth Child, as is your sense of timing. Is the other pair ready to begin their simulation?"

"Yes, Commander," said Dr. Akagi.

"Then get them started," the cold man ordered.

"Shinji, Asuka, are you ready?" asked Misato.

I saw the two Eva pilots nod in unison through our in-cockpit video feed before it went dead. Now, sitting in my entry plug, I felt incredibly confined and sore. My shoulder throbbed painfully and my brain hurt terribly. I had the beginnings of a massive migraine and I couldn't figure out _why_.

"Misato, permission to eject from my Eva," I said, straining slightly.

"Granted," Misato replied, "Rei, you can eject, too. You two are finished."

My video feeds went dead as my plug screwed up out of my Eva's back. As soon as I climbed out of the metal tube and removed my neural links, my headache lost some of its edge. It still hurt, just…not as bad. I looked around at the other Evas in the V.R. bay. Unit-00, I noticed, was missing an arm.

"That's funny," I muttered, "She had both arms in the simulator. I wonder what happened."

"It was disconnected during our battle with the Thirteenth Angel," said Ayanami, coming up behind me, "They have not been able to repair it yet."

"I'm…sorry to hear that," I replied.

"It can still be deployed if an emergency should arise," Ayanami said with a shrug, "There is no cause for concern."

"You'd willingly pilot a one-armed Eva?" I asked, amazed at the level of this girl's dedication, "Even though it would almost _certainly_ leave you at a disadvantage and possibly get you _killed_?"

"If I die, I can be replaced," Ayanami replied.

I couldn't believe my ears…_or_ my empathic senses! The girl was completely _serious_! She actually believed that she was totally expendable.

"No one is expendable, Ayanami," I said, "_No one_."

"Rei," said the Commander, "It's time to leave now."

"Yes, sir," Ayanami replied, "Goodbye, Pilot Hildreth, I will see you later."

"Yeah," I said, stunned at her devotion to this cold man, "Yeah, see you…"

**Reviews are welcome and helpful, but please, no flamers! I'll accept genuine, constructive criticism, but that's it. Thanks for understanding!**


	5. The Fourteenth

Chapter 5

Shinji and Asuka finished their run in the simulator five minutes later. Shinji emerged from the V.R. Eva bay looking tired and a little frustrated. I scanned him and found him wondering why _he_ hadn't been able to synch up with Ayanami like _I_ had. I felt sorry for him and _almost_ told him the truth about why Ayanami and I were able to move so perfectly together; almost. However, because of the promise I had made to my fellow pilot, I did not reveal her secret, or mine.

I scanned Shinji some more and found myself being sickened by my own actions. Why was I so suddenly sick of using my abilities? I backed out of Shinji's mind and walked away, massaging my temples.

"Misato," I said, walking over to her, "What else is on the docket for today?"

"Anxious, Andrew?" she teased.

"Not in the slightest," I replied without humor, "I just want to know so that I know how much more I have to endure in that cockpit, in that _foul_-smelling liquid, with a mammoth headache! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap."

"Don't worry about it," said Misato. I still picked up waves of muffled vengefulness over my display of temper coming from her. I tried to ignore them.

Suddenly, my head felt like it was about to burst. Even though I squeezed my eyes as tightly shut as they would go, I could still see bright lights flashing and popping in front of them. I must have cried out in pain because Misato, Dr. Akagi, Shinji, several of the techs, and even _Asuka_ all turned to look at me.

I collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain and cursing uncontrollably. God, it hurt so _badly_! I was picking up tsunami-sized waves of malevolent intent coming from somewhere. I couldn't understand where they were coming from or why they were so strong. Suddenly, the alarms started blaring, adding noise to my headache pain.

"What's going on?!" Misato demanded.

"There's been a wave pattern detected outside of the Amagasaki defense line," shouted one of the techs, "Oh, god…_pattern blue!_"

"Angel?!" Misato gasped, "Here? Now?"

"Let's get out there!" Asuka said eagerly, "I'm ready to kick some _real_ ass!"

"I'm with…the loudmouth," I groaned, struggling to my feet. I was still clutching my head. I guess this is why Misato looked at me and said:

"There's no way you can go out there like that. Shinji, you're going to back Asuka up. Where are Rei and the Commander?"

"The Commander is on the bridge," said Ayanami, walking back into the lab, "He has ordered that Unit-02 be sent out to intercept the Angel. Unit-01 is to remain in the hanger bay on standby."

"What?!" Shinji shouted.

"Well, it's about _time_ they gave me a solo assignment," Asuka said pompously, "I need to take revenge on those damn creatures for the way they insulted me last time."

"What about…me?" I gritted, "Why doesn't he send…_me_ out to back Asuka up?"

"You seem to be quite unfit for duty at the moment," said Ayanami, "You are displaying all signs of a migraine headache. That is not including the injury your shoulder sustained this morning."

"Damn my shoulder!" I growled, "I can still pilot!"

All of a sudden, there was a massive jolt in the ground. I heard the techs shouting with amazement and terror.

"The first 18 layers of armor plating have been breached!" one shouted.

Misato took off for the command bridge.

"This is insane," I muttered. Ayanami walked up beside me and spoke in a low voice.

"Andrew," she said, "I understand the source of your pain."

"What?" I asked.

"I understand why your head hurts," she said again, "I feel it as well. You can sense the Angel as it is approaching. Tune it out and you will be able to function."

Underneath all of her calm words, underneath all of her cool, analytical processes, I detected sincere concern. I was flattered. I didn't know that Ayanami cared.

"Ayanami," said one of the techs after hanging up hard-line phone, "The Commander has given orders that _you_ are to be dispatched in Unit-01, with its dummy plug as a backup."

"Why won't he let me pilot it?" Shinji demanded.

"Perhaps it was the way you acted in the battle with the Thirteenth Angel," Ayanami suggested, "You did not follow orders."

"I refused to commit murder!" Shinji retorted hotly, "And my father used my hands to rip Toji to pieces _anyway_! The only reason I'm still here is because I'm _needed_!"

"I can pilot Unit-01," said Ayanami, "I do not believe that the Commander has any faith in you anymore, Pilot Ikari."

With that, Ayanami turned and walked back out of the lab. This time, I followed her.

"Ayanami, wait for me!" I said, racing to catch up with her, "What the hell was _that_ all about?"

"I don't know what you mean," said Ayanami.

"Back there," I said, "with Shinji. What the _hell_ did you have to go and hurt his ego like that for?"

"He needed to hear the truth," said Ayanami, "His reaction was completely his own decision."

"How can you be so cold to another human being?" I demanded, starting to get angry, "Don't you _care_?! Can't you sense his _pain_?!"

"I can sense it," said Ayanami, "But unlike you, I choose not to be affected by it. Now, I am due to synchronize with Unit-01. Unit-02 has just deployed. She will require aid in this battle. Can you sense how powerful this Angel is?"

I stretched out with my senses and focused them on the incoming opponent. In addition to having an _immensely_ powerful A.T. Field and having eye beams that were more powerful than the Third Angel's, this new Angel had razor-sharp, ribbon-like appendages instead of arms. I could also sense that its target was somewhere deep within the bowels of NERV Headquarters. All it wanted was whatever was there. It didn't care who or what it had to destroy to get to it. I was actually frightened of this…_monster's_ power.

A searing feeling of pain lanced through my psyche. Asuka was in serious pain, both mental and physical. Suddenly, I didn't care about orders anymore. I raced to my Eva and jumped in the plug, preparing to take off. I tuned out as much of the emotional chatter that was echoing through the base as I could. This made my headache go away slightly, though the proximity of the Angel still added pain.

I sensed revulsion in the Eva cage. Unit-01 was rejecting Ayanami, as well as the backup dummy plug. Rei was transferred to her own Unit-00 and dispatched. I sensed finality in her actions…

_She's expecting to die,_ I thought, starting to panic, _She's got an N__2__ mine in her hand. She's going to try to blow up the Angel at close range!_

I felt the quake as the bomb detonated. The Angel's feelings were still present, as were Ayanami's. She had failed to destroy the Angel. I sensed the Angel's counter attack. Ayanami fell silent. Now, I _really_ started to panic. Unit-01 still refused to activate. The anxiety and terror levels of all of NERV's personnel were spiking through the roof. I could hardly tune any of them out anymore. It was getting to be too much for my mind to bear.

Suddenly, I felt a presence. It was…

_Lee?_ I wondered, _Is that you in here with me? My brother…is here._

My mind opened and filled the whole Eva. I felt my green machine come to life around me. A communication line opened into my cockpit.

"Andrew, what the hell are you _doing_?" Misato demanded, "You're not supposed to deploy! Shinji is deploying now to try and defeat the Angel. You just—,"

I heard a tech's voice in the background:

"Unit-01's internal batteries are dead! It's deactivated!"

"I'm deploying—_now_!" I said resolutely, "Launch the tenth catapult!"

There was a long pause as I waited breathlessly.

"Do it," said Commander Ikari.

I emerged above ground and found the Angel attacking a one-armed, unconscious Unit-01. It was using its razor fins as a set of jack hammers and was pounding at a red sphere that was embedded into the purple Eva's chest. I heard Shinji cursing and begging his Eva to move. His terror was almost palpable. I tried to intervene and back him up, but the Angel's A.T. Field held me at bay. I couldn't approach.

Suddenly, I sensed another presence in the combat area. It felt like a combination of Shinji's presence and…Ayanami's. Shinji's fear melted away. So did his individual presence. It felt like…he had just been _absorbed_ by his Eva. The purple machine roared back to life and snatched at one of the razor fins that were attacking it. I watched Unit-01 tear off the fin and attach the severed material to its arm stump, causing it to regenerate. It was emitting a terrible, animalistic growl. Then, it _howled_. It was one of the most terrifying sounds I have ever heard in my entire life.

The Angel tried to attack with its other razor fin. Unit-01 exerted some sort of telekinetic control and made the fin backfire on the Angel. I watched the Angel's A.T. Field slice in two and the body collapse in a pool of blood, at the same time splattering blood in the air where the A.T. Field once stood.

Unit-01 lowered itself onto all fours and crawled like some gigantic, obscene, purple spider over to where the Angel lay, still clinging faintly to life. The alien being tried once more to attack with its eye beams, only to have its head crushed by Unit-01's powerful hand. The metal giant's eyes narrowed and its mouth opened, revealing a set of very human-like teeth. Then…it began to _eat_ the Angel.

The massive, purple mech seemed to growl with…_satisfaction_ as it feasted on the flesh of its foe. I watched, with bile rising in my mouth, as Unit-01 tore into the Angel's belly and ripped at its innards. I heard Dr. Akagi say something about an S2 organ; that Unit-01 was taking it into herself. In a few more short seconds, Unit-01 had eaten its fill and stood up from the Angel's carcass. Its muscles bulged and flexed, straining against its armor.

The purple armor buckled and started to burst. The Eva was breaking loose from its armor. I watched as almost all of the Eva's armor was shattered by the raging beast that was struggling to escape from its bonds, howling and roaring the whole time. I heard a frenzied order come through my comm. line:

"Andrew!" shouted Dr. Akagi, "Subdue Eva Unit-01 _immediately_ and prepare for extraction back to base."

"Understood," I responded instantly. I hoped that Unit-01 would come along quietly and submit to being returned to the cage. I tried to scan the enormous being, searching for signs of willingness to co-operate. All I read from the monstrous being were the most primal of instincts. No true _emotions_ were present in its mind, other than the desire to be free and roam without restrictions.

_No, wait,_ I thought, _There's something else under the surface…Yes…It's…love…? It's…a mother's love. For Shinji; a mother's love for Shinji! His mother's in his Eva with him? Is it just her spirit that's inhabiting it? Could my Eva have the same thing?_


	6. Absorption and the Fifteenth

Chapter 6

"Andrew!" snapped Akagi, "Why haven't you intercepted Unit-01?!"

"It hasn't attacked me," I said, hiding the real reason that I had hesitated, "I'm not about to make it feel threatened. Maybe I can _coax_ it back to headquarters with me. If I treat it like an animal and lead it back without threatening it, I don't think that it will cause much of a problem."

"You mean you want to lead Unit-01 back to base like a lost _puppy_?" Misato asked, disbelieving.

"Exactly," I replied, hoping that my hypothesis about its behavior was correct.

I sensed a primitive being within Eva Unit-01; almost to the level of an animal. Growing up, I always had a special gift with animals, due to my empathic powers. I could understand their feelings and learn to manipulate them without hurting or threatening them.

I decided to employ this tactic with Unit-01. I got down on all fours; emulating Unit-01's posture and crab-crawled my way over. Unit-01 seemed to fear my approach and backed away, growling again. I realized that my body posture said "THREAT".

In a pack of wolves, when a member of the pack wishes to approach one of the leaders without challenging their authority, they do so by lowering themselves down lower to the ground than the wolf they are trying to approach. Doing this sends a signal of humility and humbleness to the animal being approached. I tried to emulate this strategy by lowering my Eva's crab-stance as close to the ground as I could get. Then, I continued to slink my way forward, making sure to avoid direct eye contact with Unit-01. In groups of primates, like chimpanzees or gorillas, direct eye contact is seen as a challenge.

I crawled as close to Unit-01 as I could. The wild Eva didn't retreat. This was a good sign. First contact had been made.

Keeping my stance low and my eyes on the ground, I attempted to reach out to Unit-01. The wild beast snarled and snapped its teeth. I quickly withdrew my hand and pondered my other options. I decided to try a feline technique of contact: touching noses. While an Eva is certainly not a _cat_, I hoped that perhaps it might be a relatively universal sign of affection and/or nonaggression. I directed my Eva to raise its head and try to touch noses with Unit-01. I actually received feelings of doubt and worry from my green giant about exposing our face to the wild Eva. I sent reassurances that it would work, and hoped to God and every Saint in the heavens that I was right.

My Eva contacted with Unit-01. The purple mech growled softly again. I didn't sense any threatening reactions or fear, though. I hopefully concluded that my attempt at contact was being received.

"Shinji," I said, trying to reach his consciousness, "I know you're still in there, somewhere. If you can hear me, you've got to convince Unit-01 to come back with me to NERV Headquarters, okay? We've got to figure out a way of helping you both. Please, Shinji. Come with me."

I prayed as hard as I knew how that the boy could still hear me, deep inside his Eva. Unit-01 shocked me when it stood back up on two legs and walked towards one of the Geofront catapult chutes. My eyes lit up with excitement. It had worked! My attempts to reach Shinji from within his Eva had been heard.

"Misato, Unit-01 is ready for extraction," I reported, "I'm returning to base."

"Right," my C.O. responded, "Good work."

Minutes later, I exited my entry plug and stood looking the true face of an Eva. The smile was sickening and frightful. Though the Eva had stopped moving, I knew that it could break free of its restraints at any time it chose. I had heard frantic reports that Shinji had, indeed, disappeared into Unit-01. I was afraid for him, because I knew that he might not choose to come back out. What little I could sense of his true personality that was left separate from Unit-01's was happy; truly and completely happy. Shinji felt at ease where he was. Why would he want to come back out into a world that he thought _hated_ him?

Days passed and turned into weeks. A month finally passed; without any kind of contact from Shinji from within Eva Unit-01. The science department was scrambling to come up with an extraction plan to get Shinji out of the Eva. I knew better, though. There was no way that they could _force_ a boy to leave his mother's side. Ayanami came up beside me and stood with me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I am…okay," she replied, "Thank you…for your concern, Andrew."

"You're welcome, Ayanami."

"You may…call me Rei…if you wish."

I smiled. Then, a thought occurred to me; a question.

"Yes," said Rei, reading my thoughts, "I can feel Ikari's presence within Unit-01, as well. And I feel as you do. He cannot be removed by the actions of the Science Division. He will only separate from his Eva if he chooses to."

"Do you think…?" I started to suggest. Then, I stopped and said: "No…that's a dumb idea…"

"What?" Rei asked, "Do you have a plan to extract Ikari?"

"It probably wouldn't work," I demurred.

"What odds would you give your idea to work?" Rei asked, "What percent chance for success?"

"No better than fifty-fifty," I responded.

"Those are still better odds than the science division is giving for their plan," said Rei, "They estimate no more than a five percent chance for success."

"That's it?!" I asked, flabbergasted, "Can't they come up with anything _better_?!"

"Five percent is their highest conceivable chance for success," said Rei, shaking her head, "I do not believe that they hold much hope for extracting Ikari from Unit-01."

"Damn it all," I swore softly.

"Did you have another idea?" Rei asked.

"Like I said, it's only a fifty-fifty chance, but from the sounds of things, it's our best bet," I said, "Now, bear in mind I don't know if this has even the _slightest_ chance of even being _possible_."

"What do you have in mind?" Rei asked.

"It's more the idea of 'what does Unit-_01_ have in mind'?" I responded, "What I'm proposing we do is to combine our empathic abilities in order to probe deeply into Unit-01 and try to find and contact Shinji. If we manage to do _that_, maybe we can convince him to come back out of the Eva."

"And you gave this plan a fifty percent chance for success?" Rei asked, sounding incredibly disbelieving, "I would not have been nearly so optimistic in my estimation."

"Well," said I, "I don't know about _you_, Ayanami, but I have _faith_ in my empathic abilities."

"You have practiced using them in the interrogatory sense that you are suggesting," Rei said, "As I said before, I use my abilities only to better my ability to synchronize with my Eva. I do not know how much help I can be to you."

"I can't do it without you, Rei," I said honestly, "My mind on its own isn't powerful enough to penetrate the consciousness of another being; especially a being as mighty as an Eva."

Rei paused. I sensed her indecision. I stepped closer beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Rei," I said softly, right into her ear, "If you let me, I can teach you how to scan people's minds with a minimum of effort on your part. Together, we can learn how to pierce the barriers that surround Eva Unit-01's consciousness."

"That would be a violation of the sanctity of thought, would it not?" Rei asked.

"I know that you care for Shinji," I said, reading her feelings better even, I think, than _she_ did, "And you and I _both_ know that it's within our power to bring him back from the brink of oblivion; _if_ we work together and pierce through Unit-01's ego borders. You know that you and I have that power together."

"It is conceivable," Rei admitted, still sending out a very confused and indecisive vibe, "I am still…unsure of my usefulness in this matter. I wish to recover Ikari, but I do not want it to be at the cost of the sanctity of a mind."

"I don't see how that's much of a consideration at this point," I said seriously, "I don't like the idea, either. Frankly, I'm _repulsed_ by the thought. But for Shinji's sake, we've got to put _aside_ whatever scruples we might have, and just _do_ it!"

Rei hesitated. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"You will…have to help me," Rei admitted quietly.

"I can teach you," I said again.

"Teach her what?" asked a very tense Misato.

I felt so sorry for the poor woman. Misato had taken Shinji's disappearance into Unit-01 the hardest of all of us. I could sense that she loved that boy, presumably like a son-slash-brother. I had often walked through the Eva cages after a synch test or something along those lines and found Misato standing in front of Unit-01, staring it right in its evil-green eyes. I sometimes heard her muttering things like: "Give him back, you monster", or "Give me back my Shinji". It broke my heart, really it did. That was why I really wanted this matter to be over and done with.

"Nothing, Misato," I lied, "Rei just…wanted my help with some homework."

"Hm," Misato grunted shortly. I could sense that she didn't believe one word I had just said. However, she was too distraught to care about what I was _really_ planning on teaching Rei.

"So," I said hesitantly, "has there…been any progress with getting Shinji back?"

"No," Misato sighed tiredly, "Ritsuko says that she has an idea, but there's only a very small chance for success."

"Well, small chance is better than no chance at all, right?" I asked, trying to sound hopeful. I knew that their idea wouldn't work, but I couldn't reveal that Rei and I had the power to do something else to bring back the Third Child. I also wanted to give Misato as much emotional support as I could; she deserved that much, at least. After all, if there was any way that _I_ could have saved my _brother_, I would have gladly done it. We were spared any more awkward moments by the sound of the alarms blaring. The announcement came over the P.A. system:

"All personnel go to first stage alert! Prepare for Angel assault!"

"Not another _Angel_!" Misato groaned loudly, "Not _now_!"

"You'd better get up to the command center, Misato," I said, "Rei and I will prepare for deployment. With Unit-01 still…out of commission, we're gonna need everyone here."

"Right, I'll call Asuka in," said Misato. Then, she turned and hurried out of the cage.

"Why did…you say those things?" Rei asked once Misato was out of ear-shot, "Why are you lying to her? Was it…to make her feel at ease?"

"I know what it's like to lose a loved one," I replied, "You look for any source of comfort that's presented to you, and you don't question whether they're telling the truth or not. You and I both know that whatever Akagi is planning, it probably won't work, and we both know that we're the only ones who have any chance of getting Shinji back. But, we also agree that Misato doesn't need to know about our powers, and the truth about them would probably scare the life out of her, or make her hate us. We'll have time to discuss this later. Right now, we've got a job to do."

"Yes."

Rei and I quickly went to the locker rooms and changed into our plug suits. After that, we boarded our Evas and awaited orders. I stretched out with my feelings. Asuka was ready; _more_ than ready, she was chomping at the bit. She was growing more and more unstable with each passing day. Shinji's disappearance had affected her greatly, as well. Something else was bothering her, too: her defeat at the hands of the Fourteenth. Our orders came through.

"Rei, you and Unit-00 will take point with long-range weaponry," Misato said, "Asuka, be ready to back her up in Unit-02. Andrew, you're to stay in the cage as reserve."

"Roger," I replied

"You want _me_ to back up Unit-_00_?!" Asuka spluttered.

"That's right!" Misato said firmly, "Take the rear guard position."

"You _can't_ be serious! Eva Unit-02 launch _NOW_!" Asuka screamed defiantly.

"Asuka!" I shouted as her catapult launched.

"It's okay," Misato said, "Let her take point, if that's what she wants. But if she screws this up, she's finished."

My countenance fell slightly. As unstable as Asuka was, I doubted that she'd be an effective counter-force against an incoming Angel. I realized something. I hadn't sensed this new Angel's approach like I had sensed the previous one.

"Rei," I asked, "Did you sense this Angel's approach?"

"No," she replied, "This one was…unexpected."

"I didn't sense it, either," said I, "I wonder why that is."

"I don't know," said Rei.

"Unit-00, roll out!" Misato ordered. Rei launched, leaving me standing on the catapult.

A few minutes passed. The next thing I heard was Asuka screaming. I reached out to try and touch her mind. I felt it…as well as an alien presence within it. She was being telepathically attacked by the Angel!

_Telepath!_ I thought, _That's why Rei and I couldn't sense its approach. It was hiding itself!_

"Andrew get up there and get Asuka out of there!" Misato ordered, "Rei will cover you!"

I launched to street level. Unit-02 was convulsing and writhing with pain. I could hear Asuka screaming:

"No! Don't come into me! Get out of my mind! No!"

"What's that thing hitting her with?!" I demanded.

"It's some kind of beam that uses energy oscillations in the visible spectrum," I heard one of the techs say, "It's similar to an A.T. Field!"

"Her psychro-graph is going critical!" I heard another of the bridge crew shout.

"You've got to get her clear _now_!" Misato ordered.

"NO!" Asuka screamed, "I WON'T RETREAT! I WON'T LET THEM BEAT ME AGAIN! NOT AGAIN! I'D RATHER _DIE_ FIRST!"

_Similar to an A.T. Field_, I pondered, my mind racing, _I wonder if…_

"Andrew, get her _out_ of there!" Misato shouted.

I threw myself into Unit-02, tackling her and pushing her clear of the Angel's beam. Now, I was left in the full path of the mind attack. A thousand red-hot needles stabbed into my mind. I fought down the urge to scream, as well. I put up all of my mental walls, trying to tone down the severity of the Angel's invasion into my mind, but I still could feel it entering. An empath just wasn't a match for the power of a _tele_path. If I couldn't find a way of deflecting this Angel's psych-beam, I was going to lose.

_The A.T. Field!_ I thought desperately, _If I can focus my A.T. Field again and use it offensively, maybe I can use it to fire my _own_ beam at the Angel! Lee, I know you're in here with me! I need your help now!_

"Andrew, you've got to get clear of that beam!" Misato shouted, "Rei's positron rifle can't reach the Angel, it's out of our range! You've got to retreat!"

"No!" I growled, "We can beat it!"

"_We_?!" Misato repeated, confused.

The pain in my mind disappeared. I could feel someone's mind standing between me and the Angel. My brother had come to my aid. Our A.T. Field had deployed. I could feel it in my hands; a tangible thing. Something that could be molded and shaped with my will. All I had to do was want it badly enough, and I knew that it would happen for me.

_The power to enter someone's mind through their ego barriers,_ I thought, an idea coming to me,_ That could potentially be very useful. I'll take that power from you, my formidable foe. You will become a part of me!_

I pictured my A.T. Field reaching out like a claw to grasp the Angel's core. I fed my A.T. Field back up through the Angel's beam, right to the Angel, itself. I was blocked. The Angel's A.T. Field prevented me from entering. I continued trying to batter my way through the Angel's defenses, but the battle would soon turn in the Angel's favor unless something happened to change that inevitability.

I sensed movement. Rei and Unit-00 were standing on the street beside me, holding some kind of long, red spear. She was intending to throw the spear at the Angel and kill it. I split my concentration long enough to beg Rei to not kill the Angel yet. I sensed the spear's power. It could pierce through an A.T. Field like it wasn't there. I sent Rei an image of her using the spear to punch through the Angel's A.T. Field and allow me to assault it with my A.T. Field attack. I sensed Rei's agreement. She heaved the spear, deliberately missing the Angel's body.

I felt the Angel's defenses fall. I pushed again; as hard as I could. The effort was tremendous! I felt my claw come into contact with the Angel's essence core.

"Let's see how you like…a taste of your own…medicine, you _bastard_!" I shouted.

I tore at the Angel's core with my mind, drinking in its power and drawing it down into myself. The A.T. Field acted as a channel, funneling power immeasurable into my pitiful, human form. I felt like the cells of my body were going to explode from the sheer volume of energy that was flooding through them. By force of will, I persevered and drew the Angel's essence of being into me and made it a part of my _own_ essence. Once the Angel's substance was a part of me, I felt the burden of the power ease. I hungered to fill myself with the rest of the Angel's mind-tapping power.

The Angel's essence unraveled. The being of light that had wreaked so much havoc on the mind of one young girl, and that had tried to do the same to me, died, leaving _me_ the sole possessor of its power. My idea had worked, but I felt little satisfaction. I could still sense great pain in Asuka. The Angel's beam had unlocked so many painful memories that she had fought for years to suppress. The combination of my empathic abilities and my new _telepathic_ abilities screamed her pain like a fire alarm inside my mind. I could see _everything_ that she was feeling now. Flashes of her childhood appeared; her mother in a hospital bed, a doll in her mother's arms that she cooed at as though _it_ were her child, instead of Asuka. Next, I saw the door to that same hospital room open. Hanging from the ceiling with the doll hanging next to her, was Asuka's mother.

_So, _that's_ what made her such a bitch_, I thought, _Poor girl. Discovering her mother like that. That's the kind of thing that'll scar a kid for life, which, obviously, it did._

I heard, as though from a great distance, Misato ordering our Evas to be recovered and Asuka and I to be put into quarantine until the extent of our contamination could be determined. I stood next to the broken girl on a rooftop and tried to reach out to her. She curled up into a ball and tried to withdraw further into herself.

"Asuka," I said quietly and gently, "Why won't you open up your mind to your memories?"

"What do _you_ care?!" she snapped back, "You _don't_ care! _Nobody_ cares about me!"

"You're wrong, Asuka," I responded, extending my mind into hers and projecting calm feelings into her, "There are lots of people here at NERV who care about you. _Misato_ cares about you, _I_ care about you, and, deep inside Unit-01, _Shinji_ cares about you, too."

"Then why wasn't he here to _save_ me!" Asuka wept, "If he _really_ cared, couldn't he have come out of his Eva long enough to _help_ me?!"

"You're being irrational, Asuka," I replied, still projecting feelings of calm on a subliminal level, "I know you're in pain right now. I can feel it in your mind. You feel betrayed by a boy that you love."

"I _don't_ love him!" Asuka shouted at me, standing up to face me, finally, "Why would I _love_ that skinny, twerpy, perverted little _creep_!"

"Because," I said, "in your soul, he completes you. It is only your pride and ego that prevent you from seeing this within yourself. Your pride has _blinded_ you, Asuka. The light that the Angel projected on you was meant to try to help you see again."

"It raped my mind!" Asuka shrieked, "That monster _raped_ me!"

"If you hadn't resisted, it would have helped you to see the truth about yourself," I said, "It would have been painless."

"You sound like you're on _their_ side!" the unstable red-head snapped, "_You've_ become our enemy _too_!"

"No, Asuka," I said gently, "Look at me. I'm still your friend; the person you've come to trust these last few weeks. I want you to look into my eyes and let me continue shining the light of truth into your soul. Can you trust me enough to let me help you this one time?"

There was a very pregnant pause. And then, I heard a quiet, tear-broken whisper:

"Y-yes…"


	7. The Telepath

Chapter 7

"Asuka," I said, gently taking her head in my hands, "I'm going to open your mind to your memories. I can guarantee that it will not be a pleasant experience for you, but I will be there in an astral form to guide you and help you maintain a grip on your sanity. Are you ready?"

"I hope so," Asuka replied faintly.

"What are you two doing?" Misato asked, walking up to the opposite side of a line of "caution" tape that enclosed our quarantine area; just in time to see me take Asuka's head into my hands.

"Asuka is still feeling some residual effects from the Angel's beam attack," I answered, letting go, "I'm just trying to help her calm down."

"It looked more to me like you were about to _kiss_ her," said Misato.

"If that's what it takes. Are you _jealous_, Katsuragi-san?" I teased, employing a little bit of the Japanese mannerism that I knew.

"Of what? Teen _lust_?" Misato asked tensely, "As if."

_Is that what you _really_ feel, Misato?_ I wondered, _Or are _you_ hiding something, as well?_

I used my new telepathic powers to probe my way into Misato's mind. I was surprised at my lack of revulsion for doing this. Hadn't I just told Rei that I _abhorred_ the idea of forcing my way into another's mind? Yet, here I was, pushing my way into Misato's unsuspecting mind in order to find out if she was lying to me.

_Ahh,_ I sighed mentally to myself as I found Misato's true feelings on the matter, _So Misato _does_ desire Shinji. How…unsettling. It's unhealthy for her to be pursuing such a young man for romance, even if he doesn't _know_ he's been marked for it. Perhaps I could exercise some of this new power to re-kindle her old feelings for this Kaji fellow… No…that won't work. Kaji's dead. He left her a message and she knew that he was going off to die. How tragic. I should find her someone who loves her and will take good care of her._

I withdrew from Misato's mind and telepathically erased any traces of my mind's contact with hers. I don't think I was quite quick enough on the draw with my erasure, though, because Misato shook her head, as though clearing cobwebs from her mind.

"Anyway," she said, "I talked with all of the people who know about this stuff, and you're cleared to resume your duties. Come on."

"Sure," I replied. I took Asuka's hand and led her over the tape. I still had my mind focused on Asuka's, and her thoughts were all filled with feelings of appreciation for me. She was also starting to develop an…infatuation with me. This could be potentially unhealthy for her if it conflicted with her feelings for Shinji. I would have to help lead her past this temporary love and show her the possibility of lasting love with Shinji.

_Ha, now this is funny_, I laughed sarcastically to myself, _Look at me playing psychic match-maker between a mentally unstable German and a boy who can't make himself leave a giant robot. I _must_ be crazy._

Asuka clung to me the whole trip back to NERV. Once we were there and alone. I took her head back in my hands and said:

"We have awhile before we're expected anywhere. Are you ready, Asuka?"

"Hurry up and do it, before I change my mind," the German replied.

"As you wish. Prepare yourself," I said.

Then, I entered Asuka's mind and started to peel back the layers of her psyche one by one. The girl struggled in my hands and tried to resist as I pushed deeper and deeper. As I broke through each successive layer of mental blockages that Asuka had constructed over the years, I heard one question reverberate through her head:

_WHY?! Why are you making me relive these memories?!_

_Because, Asuka, you have to let _go_ of these memories if you ever hope to move forward with your life,_ my astral form said to Asuka's astral body, _If you don't learn to accept your past as it was and move on, you will only continue to compound your pain. And that pain will lead to self-destruction._

_I don't care!_ Asuka's astral form screamed at me, _I don't _want_ to see these painful things anymore! I forgot them for a _reason_!_

_And now you must _remembe_r them for _another_ reason,_ I replied, still keeping my voice as calm and soothing as I possibly could, _You must look and remember, and _accept_ what you see. I do not wish to force my will upon your mind, but if that is what it will take for you to accept what you see as the undeniable truth, then I will have to do so; for your own good. I'm sorry._

_Let's just get on with my tour of hell, Virgil,_ Asuka said sarcastically.

_As you wish._

I pulled Asuka down deeply into the recesses of her own mind, dragging her closer and closer to the source of her pain. I peeled back the final layer of her mind, exposing the very center of Asuka's pain to our view. I saw Asuka standing in a laboratory, watching a computer monitor beeping with a heart monitor read-out, as well as an EEG display. Suddenly, the EEG went berserk. Voices began to shout about an abnormality in the contact interfaces.

The memory changed again. This time, Asuka and I were looking at the same woman in the hospital bed; her mother. Doctors were discussing what had happened to the woman. I heard the word "insanity" and the phrase "failed contact experiment" being used.

_This is your mother?_ I asked.

_It was,_ said Asuka shortly, _I don't need my mother any more._

_You're still only girl, Asuka,_ I said, _And you were just a very little girl when your mother died. Did you ever give yourself time to grieve?_

_For what?_ Asuka asked, _Some crazy bitch who cared more about her _work_ than she did her own _daughter_? Why the hell would I grieve for _that_?_

_Because your mother's devotion to her work was a demonstration of her devotion to you,_ I replied, _Your mother knew the importance of her work on Project 'E'. She knew that her work was necessary for the future of humankind. She may have neglected you sometimes, but she did it because she was working to make the world a better place for you. She did it because she _loved_ you._

There was stillness. Then, I watched a tear roll down the stolid girl's cheek. A single word escaped from her ethereal lips:

_Momma…_

_My task here is done,_ I thought to myself, _I will erase the memory of my presence from Asuka's mind. She will think that she came to this acceptance just by talking with me. No one but Ayanami may know of my new telepathic powers. To let anyone else know would be dangerous for me._

I withdrew from Asuka's mind, erasing my psychic footsteps as I went and planting a series of small, false memories in their stead. I came back into my own thoughts and found Asuka staring deeply into my hazel eyes with her own blue ones. Her vision was glazed. She was in shock; deeply distracted by the memories that I had unlocked in her mind.

Asuka's eyes fluttered and came back into focus. I watched the tears swell in her azure orbs until they spilled over and ran down her cheeks. I released her face and quickly caught her under her arms and held her gently as she broke down completely, her body racked by heavy sobs. "The Great Asuka" was no more. I sensed that all of her arrogance, all of her superiority, and all of her haughtiness had vanished from her mind, to be replaced, finally, by a natural sadness over the loss of a family member.

"I'm so sorry, Andrew," she sobbed, "I'm sorry for the way I've acted towards you, and towards Wonder G—Rei, and towards…Shinji… Oh, god…I…I need him back! I have to _see_ him again! I have to _tell_ him that I…that I…"

"Steady, Asuka," I said calmly, "There's a plan to get him back already under way. You'll see him again soon. And when you do, you can tell him exactly how you feel, okay?"

"Yeah," Asuka agreed, giving me a watery smile, "Andrew… you're a…a good guy."

"Thanks, Red," I said, smiling back, "That means a lot, coming from you."

I meant it, too. When I first met the Second Child, I never expected her to compliment me on anything, let alone call me a "good guy". I realized that a big part of her personality flip-flop was my psychic tip-toe through her mind to help her come to grips with her past, but it was still a surprise. Clearly, she had continued to voluntarily relive some of her memories.

"Thanks for talking with me, Andrew," said Asuka, "I don't know how it occurred to me to confide in you, but I'm glad I did. I'll see you later, okay? I'm gonna go home and…and think."

"Okay," I said, "See you later."

_Go home and _cry_ is more like it,_ I thought, _But that's okay. You've got a lot of pain to get past, and that's not gonna happen without a few tears. Don't worry, Asuka. Rei and I will get Shinji back for you._

I walked out of the room that Asuka and I had been in and headed for the gym. I needed a good workout to soothe some of my own nerves. Everything at NERV had been so jumbled and crazy the last month that I needed some kind of release and a chance to relax and let my new powers rest. However, I wanted privacy to do that. I didn't want to walk into the weight room and find people in there already. When I reached the weight room/pool room door, I did a mental sweep of the pool room and found only one set of thoughts within; they belonged to Rei.

I felt her tense slightly and then almost immediately relax as she realized that it was me. I had wanted private time, but I knew that Rei wouldn't bother me or intrude upon my solitude unless she thought I needed a spotter again. I walked through the doors and found Rei swimming laps in the pool. The blue-haired pilot swam over to the edge of the pool, climbed out, and walked over to me.

"Hello again, Andrew," said Rei, "Are you recovered from your battle with the Angel?"

"I…don't know," I said hesitantly. I wanted someone to confide in, but I wasn't sure how much of this conversation might leak back to Ikari. That was something that I noticed about Rei: she always informed Ikari about any dealings or conversations that she had with anyone. If I were to talk with Rei about my newly acquired powers, I wanted to make sure that the information would be kept a secret.

"If you wish me to keep your confidence, all you need to do is ask," Rei said, reading my worries.

I smiled. This girl might not have been a full telepath, but she could still read _me_ with uncanny accuracy. I resolved to fix that little problem and try to adopt a more mysterious persona; just like Rei's. I sighed, weighing my options. Again, I really did _need_ someone to confide in, and I really wanted it to be _Rei_, but I didn't want to just _ask_ for her confidence. That, to me, has always been something that has to be _earned_, not _given_. I decided the need to talk outweighed the question of personal ethics.

"Rei," I said, my voice heavy with another sigh, "I need your confidence. I need what I'm about to tell you to stay just between you and me; no one else, not even the Commander. Please?"

Rei nodded quietly.

"I've acquired…new powers," I said slowly, "When the Angel attacked me with its mind-beam, I used my A.T. Field to attack it directly with the intention of stealing its telepathic powers. However, I didn't count on its own A.T. Field blocking me, and that's why I didn't want you to _destroy_ the Angel with that spear, just tear a hole it the A.T Field for me."

"So, you are saying…"

"That I'm a full telepath now," I finished, "That's right. I'm pretty sure that I now have the power to actually influence people's thoughts and change their minds without them knowing it. As a matter of fact, I _know_ I have the power to influence people's thoughts, because I just got done helping Asuka to recover from her own experiences with the Angel's psychic attack. She had almost come completely unhinged! The beam had unlocked memories that Asuka had buried deep within herself, trying to forget them. I entered her mind and helped her to come to grips with her past. She doesn't remember that I entered her mind, she just thinks that I helped her talk through it, but she's doing better now."

"That is good to hear," said Rei, "Perhaps, now that she has accepted the traumas of her past, the Second Child's piloting performance will return to its former level."

"Hmm," I hummed in response, "I'm gonna go use the weight room."

"You will have company in that endeavor," said Rei, "Technician Hyuga is also in the weight facility."

"Oh," I said tensely.

"Are you uncomfortable around him?"

"It's not him," I replied, "I just…wanted a chance to work out alone and have some private time."

"Then ask him to leave," Rei suggested, thinking of a simple solution.

"I couldn't do that," I replied, shaking my head, "He has just as much right to be in there as I do. How would I feel if someone came in and just asked me to leave because they wanted the place to themselves?"

"I…suppose that would be…rude," Rei agreed uncertainly.

"I have to wonder, though," I remarked thoughtfully, "What's Hyuga doing in the weight room? He never struck me as the body-builder type. Let me see…"

I concentrated my powers on the weight room and focused on reading Hyuga's mind. Right now, he was concentrating on doing a set of reps on the shoulder press machine. All I could immediately discern from his mind was a deep desire to impress a woman. Typical, I thought. I couldn't fault him, though. I had first started working out when I turned fifteen in order to impress one of the girls at my old school. It didn't work, but I found that I liked lifting and so, kept it up.

_Who's he trying to impress?_ I wondered.

I dug deeper into the thin man's mind, carefully probing my way into his fantasies in order to discover his perfect woman. I found a picture there; it was Misato. I almost laughed aloud when I saw this. Makoto Hyuga was in love with his superior officer.

_While that's not all that uncommon,_ I mused, _it's still kind of pathetic, when I know for a fact that the woman barely knows he exists as a person. Still, he seems to think the world of her. Maybe, if I can subliminally influence the two of them to get together and try going out on a date… Hmm…_

"What are you planning?" Rei asked, reading my sly expression as well as the feelings I was giving off.

_Nothing, Rei,_ I thought to her.

"What?"

_We can speak telepathically now,_ I said, _Try it._

_Can you hear all of my thoughts?_ I heard Rei think.

_I _could_…_if_ I felt like prying,_ I replied, _However, I'll respect your privacy and leave your thoughts alone._

_Thank you,_ Rei thought back.

_I can't wait for the next team-synch test,_ I thought, _This new rapport between the two of us will make it _so _much easier._

_Would we not be breaking the rules, though,_ Rei queried, _After all, we would be communicating with each other._

_No, we wouldn't,_ I replied,_ We'd be _thinking_ to each other. That's different._

_Perhaps,_ Rei thought. She sounded almost as though she were…giggling inside her mind. It was a musical sound. I felt myself blushing and quickly turned my head, not that it helped much. Rei still read my feelings and chuckled; out loud this time. Her laughter was just as musical in real life.

"I'm gonna go…change," I said, stunned.

"I'll await your return," said Rei, "Please do not keep me waiting for long."

"I'll…hurry back," I replied dumbly. Then, I rushed off to the adjoining locker rooms and pulled off my plug suit. Switching into a pair of swimming trunks, I walked quickly back out to the pool to find Rei back to swimming laps as though nothing had happened.

I walked out to one of the diving boards and stepped out to the end. I bounced twice and then dove into the pool. Breaking back up through the surface, I tossed my hair out of my face and started to swim alongside of Rei. Ten laps later, she and I swam over to the ladder and climbed out to catch our breath.

"You're…a good swimmer…Rei," I said, breathing heavily.

"Thank you," my pale friend replied, her breathing barely elevated, "So are you."

"Maybe for short periods," I said, "Over longer distances, I get tired really fast."

"Perhaps you are putting too much effort into your pace and setting it too fast," Rei suggested, "If you slowed your pace down and concentrated more on moving your limbs in a steady, fluid motion, you would have a greater amount of stamina."

"Maybe," I agreed, "Rei, how long have you been swimming like this?"

"I don't remember," she answered, "Aside from piloting Eva, all I do for activity is to come to this pool and swim."

"Would you like to start running with me?" I asked, "It's good cardio exercise, too. I think you might enjoy it."

"Are you propositioning me for a social rendezvous?" Rei asked.

"'Social…' you mean a _date_?" I asked, amazed at Rei's vernacular and vocabulary.

"Correct."

"I don't know," I replied coyly, "Does it _sound_ like I'm asking you out on a date?"

"It does," Rei replied, "And I must tell you that I feel…uncomfortable about the thought of recreational activity while Pilot Ikari is not present to join us all in it."

"If we went out on a date, Rei, it would just be you and me," I said chuckling at her naivety, "That's the whole point of a date: to get away just as a couple and spend some alone-time with each other. However, you're right. The situation with Shinji _does_ need to be addressed."

"How do you propose we go about it?"

"We'll wait until the Science Department starts their plan to try and extract him," I said, "That'll provide the perfect cover. Once they start doing their thing, you and I will enter into Unit-01's consciousness and talk to Shinji. Hopefully, we can convince him to come back out; for _Asuka's_ sake, if nothing else."

"That is a well-thought-out plan," Rei said approvingly, "How close will we have to be to implement your plan?"

"To each other or to Unit-01?"

"Both," Rei replied.

"You and I should be in physical contact with each other at the time of contact," I said, "Holding hands should be sufficient. As to proximity to Unit-01, your guess is as good as mine. I've never even _thought_ of doing something this radical before."

"It has never been attempted before by any human," Rei agreed, "But you are no longer just human. I sensed a change within you as the battle with the Fifteenth came to its conclusion. You absorbed the Angel's core essence into yourself, correct?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Then you are now an Angel/human hybrid," said Rei, "You should now possess the powers of both species. In theory, you would have your own, personal A.T. Field, just like an Eva's. With practice, you should be able to project that A.T. Field, just as the Angels do."

"Project it, huh? Would that be something sort of like…this?" I asked.

I asked because, at the moment Rei mentioned an A.T. Field, I felt a surge of energy. I realized that this energy must be my A.T. Field. I concentrated as hard as I could, but nothing happened. Then I remembered that A.T. Fields react to threats. I imagined that Rei was attacking me and as I spoke, I felt the energy flow from my body. Rei gasped with surprise.

"How are you able to do that already?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said, dropping my Field, "I just…_know_, strange as that sounds. It just came naturally."

"I suppose that it would," Rei agreed, "Is your stamina recovered?"

"I thought we were going to go and help Shinji?" I asked.

"You said that we were to wait until the Science Division started their recovery operation," said Rei.

"I don't know when that might be," I said, shaking my head, "They might already be under way. I don't know."

"You could reconnoiter telepathically," Rei suggested, "Perhaps technician Hyuga might know something."

"Good idea, Rei," I agreed.

I reached out with my mind and probed again into Hyuga's thoughts. I was surprised as how much easier each successive use of my powers was. I reasoned that, like anything else in life, practice makes perfect. I scanned for any knowledge about the upcoming extraction experiment. He didn't know exactly what was being planned, but Hyuga did know _when_ the experiment was due to be performed. My eyes widened. The experiment was due to start in half an hour!

"We've got to get up to the cage," I said, withdrawing from the tech's mind, "The experiment is due to start in thirty minutes."

"Permit me to change first, please," said Rei, starting to reach for the shoulder straps of her one-piece bathing suit. As she gripped the strap on her left shoulder, she suddenly stopped. She looked at me and said:

"I will wait until I leave your area of vision before removing my clothing."

"Thanks, Rei," I said. Then, I headed for the men's locker room and switched to my casual attire.

Five minutes later, Rei and I emerged from our respective locker rooms. She looked at me and nodded; I returned the gesture. Side by side, we headed quickly to the Eva cages.


	8. The Astral Plane

Chapter 8

**Okay, folks, you know the drill: I don't own Evangelion or anything associated with it. Reviews are welcome, but please...no flamers!**

A nearly ten-minute walk later, Rei and I were stopped outside the door to the Eva cages by two security guards.

"You can't go in there, there's a priority experiment about to start," one of them said.

"I know that," I replied, "We're here to help."

_Rei,_ I thought to her, _We have to be in the cage. Out here, we're not close enough for me to make full contact. Unit-01's defenses are too high. She _knows_ that they're trying something and she _doesn't_ want to let Shinji go._

_Does _Ikari_ wish to leave?_ Rei asked.

_I can't tell from here,_ I replied, _But the last time I scanned them, as an empath, Shinji was happy where he was._

"You can't go in there," the guard said again. I knew that I'd never be able to convince him to let us in. He was too well-trained and conditioned. I'd have to use my powers in a way that I'd been hesitant to try.

_We _can_ go in,_ I thought, telepathically taking over his mind, _Dr. Akagi requested that the other Eva pilots be present during the experiment. My thoughts are yours, my will is yours…_

Despite the necessity of my actions, the course I was taking (forcing my will upon the thoughts of another) was making me sick to my stomach. I made myself a promise that after we got Shinji back, I would never again use my telepathic powers to forcibly change someone's mind or alter their memories. The temptations would arise, I was sure, but I knew that my will would be able to override the urge.

"Go on in," the guard said in a dull voice, "I forgot that Dr. Akagi wanted the Eva pilots there for this. I'm sorry to have held you up."

"Quite alright," I replied, smiling at the man, "You're just doing your job."

_Just like I'm about to do mine,_ I thought to myself.

_You altered his thoughts, _Rei said through our rapport.

_Yes,_ I answered, _and I will never do so again; to _any_one. The action sickens me. A person's thoughts must be inviolate. No one has the right to force their will upon the thoughts or actions of another. To do so is a violation of nature, and should be punished by death or worse._

Rei nodded quietly. The two of us walked to the end of the catwalk and looked up at Unit-01. Its armor had been repaired and replaced, but I could still sense that the beast within the Eva could easily break free at any moment.

"Take my hand, Rei," I said, "It's time to begin."

Rei's light, delicate hand reached out and gently grasped mine. Her skin was soft and warm. I guarded my thoughts closely, lest they run amok and give away the feelings I was having at that particular instant. I pushed down the desire to pull Rei into my arms and embrace her closely, only to have my thoughts invaded by images of Rei pressing her body against mine of her own volition. I could already feel her body, lithe and strong, pressed flush against my front. I quickly shook my head and cleared my thoughts.

_Are you unwell?_ Rei asked, sensing the void of my thoughts across our link, _You are hiding your feelings from me._

_I'm fine,_ I replied, _I'm just a little…nervous, I guess._

_You are lying,_ said Rei astutely, _Do you wish to confide in me further?_

_Not right now,_ I thought, feeling a little irritated, _And I wasn't lying. I'm nervous as _hell_ about what we're about to do. We could get _lost_ in there!_

_We will not,_ said Rei.

_How can you be so sure?_

_You will be guiding us,_ said Rei, _I have confidence in you._

I felt a swelling of pride. As new as I was with my powers, Rei still had confidence in my ability to guide us through the consciousness of another, unknown being. Knowing that made my own confidence grow.

"It's nearly time," I said, "We're going in."

I concentrated all of my strength on entering Unit-01's consciousness, and felt Rei do the same. We entered a space in between minds. As we floated, hand-in-hand, through a sea of black mist and clouds, I felt Rei's thoughts. She was afraid and exhilarated all at the same time. I looked over at her and saw her astral form. She was nude, but the glowing, ambient light that she was giving off obscured her body's features. The only part of her that I could clearly see was her face. She looked radiant. I became aware of my own nudity, but was not ashamed of it. Light hid my own features, as well.

_Rei, how do you feel?_

_I am…apprehensive,_ she replied, _We have come to a place that has never been seen before. Do you…know where we are?_

_I don't have an _exact_ idea, no,_ I replied, _But were I to make a guess, I'd say that we were somewhere on the Astral Plane of conscious reality. On this Plane, all minds may make contact with each other, if they so choose. This dark place is the strand that binds all of humanity together. However, if we become separated, we can get lost from each other, so please Rei, don't let go of my hand._

_I will not,_ Rei reassured me, _I am…comforted…by the contact that we share._

_Yes, you are,_ said I, _I can feel your thoughts and feelings much more acutely here on the Astral Plane, as there is no physical body to obscure them._

Several eternities seemed to pass as Rei and I continued to float in the darkness. We knew not whether we were floating toward anything, or just floating stationary in the blackness. All we knew was that our presence with each other was the only thing shielding us from madness brought on by the immense emptiness that surrounded us.

_Your method of speech has changed since we first became acquainted, _said Rei after such a long silence.

_How do you mean?_ I asked, not comprehending.

_Your dialogue has become more formal than before,_ Rei explained, _You also seem to have an immense understanding of your powers as well as this place. How is that possible?_

_I share the essence and being of the Angel whose powers I stole,_ I answered, _Its knowledge is now _my_ knowledge. That is how I know how to use my powers without training, and how I know so much about the Astral Plane. I understand this now; now that we are here in this perfectly peaceful place._

_It is bleak here,_ said Rei.

_It is _beautiful_ here_, I countered, _Man comes here often; in the form of dreams and visions. This beautiful, perfect place of unrestrained thought is where art and music are born from. Men who come to this place and return with an inspiration are the lucky few who may call themselves truly inspired artists. How I envy those men who have been here so many times and have given the world such beauty. _They_ are the _true_ heroes of this world, for they have given it something timeless and incorruptible: they have made the world a more beautiful place._

_The way you speak of this place,_ Rei said, awestruck, _it is changing the way…this place appears to me._

And changing it was. As Rei's thoughts became apparent to me, the landscape of the Astral Plane took on a new form. The dark clouds and mist changed to a flat, green field of tall grass. There was a blue sky over our heads and a white star shining down on us. Off in the far distance, I spied a lonely tree jutting up from the flat landscape. The white light from that alien star made every color, every shape, every _line_ seem supernaturally clear and sharp. Rei sighed with contentment.

_Do you now see the beauty of this place, Rei?_ I asked, _It is as we see it; _however_ we see it. If we are afraid or are unsure of ourselves, this place can be a void of black mists. But if we are true with ourselves and choose to see the infinite possibility that this place holds, it will become wherever we desire to see ourselves. Now, all that remains is for us to choose our destination, and I pray that you choose quickly, because, remember timing is of the essence. We must contact Shinji and convince him to leave in such time that it appears as though the scientists were successful in their own efforts._

_I will be…reluctant to leave this place,_ Rei admitted, _I have never…been here before._

_Surely you have,_ I responded, _All humans can enter this place in their dreams._

_I do not dream,_ said Rei, _I am…unable._

I thought for a long moment about what she was saying. A person who couldn't dream? It sounded too absurd to be true.

_Read my thoughts,_ Rei said, reading my disbelief, _You will find that I am not lying._

_Is that your permission to probe your thoughts?_ I asked.

_Yes,_ said Rei, _but only so far as to ascertain for yourself that I am telling you only the truth. Or do you wish to satisfy your curiosity about my inability to dream, as well?_

_I _am_ rather curious about that,_ I admitted, then I added, _as long as you're willing to let me go that far._

_I will permit it,_ Rei said curtly.

_You know,_ I said, _if you really _aren't_ comfortable with the idea of me entering your thoughts, all you have to do is _say_ so._

_If it will satisfy your curiosity, I will permit it,_ replied Rei, _My own dislikes are unimportant._

_Did I just hear you right?_ I asked.

_You have no record of any hearing impairments,_ Rei stated. I laughed despite myself. Rei looked over at me with confusion in her eyes.

_I know you weren't trying to be funny,_ I said, answering her unspoken question, _but the way you answered my question just made me laugh, that's all. You live such a simple life. Such child-like innocence and naivety; it's absolutely delightful._

_Why?_

_Because you are the very _essence_ of what this place is about,_ I replied, _Innocence and simplicity of thought. You have a gift for seeing things as they are; unimpaired by the illusions of the world of men. I pray that you never lose that innocence. Now, we really _must_ get going. As pleasant as this place is to linger in, we do have a job to do._

_Yes._

Rei and I started to glide over the field. Rei was confused about how we could be defying the laws of physics. I chuckled good-naturedly.

_This is not the physical world,_ I said, _The laws of physics have no presence here. The only law that matters here is the law of the supernatural: Your will determines your reality; if you _believe_ it can happen, it _will_ happen._

Rei nodded. Still hand-in-hand, we continued to float towards the distant tree. I could sense that whatever we were searching for, it was under that tree.

Rei and I arrived a short time later to our destination. What we found was confusing and yet, at the same time, rather touching. We found Shinji, lying on the ground in the shade of the tree, his head cradled in a woman's lap. The woman was very pretty. She had long, dark, chocolate-brown hair and dark brown eyes.

_Shinji, _I said, coming to rest on the ground near the pair, _aren't you going to introduce us to your mother?_

_Huh?_ Shinji yawned. Then, he looked up and saw me and Rei standing overtop of him and sat up quickly.

_How did you two get here? Were you absorbed by your Evas, too?_ he asked.

_No, Ikari, we were not,_ Rei answered, _Andrew has the power to bring us here to the Astral Plane._

_We came to bring you home, Shinji,_ I added.

_I _am_ home,_ the boy said, _I'm right here with my mom; where I'm loved and accepted. It's where I belong._

_Shinji, do you _honestly_ believe that you _aren't_ loved back in Tokyo-3?_ I asked, _I know for a _fact_ that there are at least two women who _dearly_ love you and are missing you _terribly_. I know that you think the world is a cruel and painful place. And maybe it is, but by avoiding it, you're causing pain to people who care for you. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty about your choice, Shinji. I'm just trying to make you see things for the way they _truly_ are; not just the way you would wish them to be._

_What's wrong with wishing for things to be better? _Shinji demanded,_ What's wrong with running away from reality if it _sucks_?!_

_Why do you want to take my son away from me?_ the woman asked, _Can't you see how happy he is here with me? Why would you want to take him back to a world where all he has is a cold, aloof man who masquerades as a father and a girl who is just a pale _copy_ of me?_

_What?_ I asked.

_You didn't _know_?_ the woman asked, her voice scornful, _And here _you_ are, a _telepath_. The girl who stands to your right is a clone made from _my_ genetic material and the genes of one of the _creatures_ who are the enemy of all mankind. She is like _you_, young man. She is a _hybrid_._

I was stunned. If I had done what most people _would_ have done when I first received my powers, I would have pried my way into Rei's mind and read all of her past and secrets. However, the way I was raised prevented me from violating another person's privacy. Combine that with Rei's own mental defenses, and I didn't even get the slightest sense that she was anything like what I was now. A _hybrid_! One who has the powers of both races. Could that have been where Rei got _her_ empathic abilities? It made me wonder and my mind churn with questions.

_Rei's a clone…of you?_ Shinji asked, looking bewilderedly up at his life-giver.

_Yes,_ his mother replied, _When I was absorbed by Evangelion Unit-01 during a contact experiment, my husband, your _father_, salvaged what of my genetic material that he could and made a little puppet out of it. That puppet is what you see before you now._

_I will not deny my past,_ said Rei, _But I will not let you bring disdain upon it, either. I am what I am. I did not choose the way that I came into this world._

_No one can,_ I agreed, _I agree with Rei. You cannot place blame on her for what a mad man did to make her._

_I suppose not, _the woman agreed, _But still, you cannot make my little boy go back into that harsh, hateful world._

_I know who you are, Yui Ikari,_ I said, _and I know that you were one of the finest scientists of your era. Your work on the Evangelion series has changed the world, and it has changed it for the better. I know that you have been away for quite some time, but I can sense your memories. Your last memories outside of Eva Unit-01 were…a spoken dialogue with someone…_

I scanned the memory that Yui tried to hide. As I felt it play out in my mind, I let my mouth form the words that she had spoken, using her own voice.

"_I want him to see how bright our future is…"_

_You twist my words against me,_ Yui said, narrowing her eyes accusingly.

_Oh no, Yui,_ said I, _You've twisted your words against yourself. You've allowed the many years that you've been trapped in this machine to make you bitter and resentful. I do not fault you for feeling this way; anyone would. However, you cannot let those feelings alter the way you feel about your son's future. Just ask yourself: what kind of future would he have if he stayed here with you forever?_

Yui was silent. I pressed on.

_He must return with us._

_I don't want to leave, though,_ Shinji objected, _This is the first time I've ever really _seen_ my mother. Do you know what that's like?_

_No, Shinji, I don't,_ I admitted, _Even though I barely know my _father,_ because they divorced when I was just a young boy, I know my mother well. But please believe me, you can return to see your mother any time you want when you dream. Here on the Astral Plane, dreams and memories merge into their own reality. I would wish you all of eternity to spend with her, but right now, you must come back with us to the Mortal Plane. Asuka _needs_ you in her _life_. She's _lost_ without you._

_You _must_ be joking,_ Shinji chuckled, _That Red Devil doesn't give a damn about anyone but _herself_._

_She's changed, Shinji,_ I said, shaking my head, _She's opened her mind to her past and come to terms and accepted who she really is. This acceptance has eased her arrogance and dissipated her hatefulness. She can finally accept that she might have feelings and needs for others in her life. I know that she has strong feelings for you, Shinji. If you won't come back for anything else, come back for Asuka. Please?_

Shinji stood silently beside Rei and me for a long time. I sensed something in the distance; growing rapidly towards us. Suddenly, a great, black void opened in the ground near the tree. It swirled and howled, threatening to suck all of us into its cold depths.

_What the hell is that?!_ Shinji asked, panicking.

_That is the attempt of the Science Division to retrieve you,_ I said, reading the intention of the hole, _To return to the Mortal Plane, all you must do is jump into that hole._

_How can you be sure it isn't some portal to hell?_ Yui asked.

_Have you no faith in my abilities?_ I asked.

_Trust Andrew's words,_ said Rei. I looked over at her and smiled.

The hole began to shrink. Shinji turned around and looked at his mother. I grasped Shinji's shoulders and looked him in the face.

_Shinji Ikari, if you are going to return with us to the Mortal Plane, it must be now._

Shinji looked back at his mother again. I sensed great sadness from both of them. I watched tears well up in Yui's dark eyes, but they did not spill over as she nodded to her son. Shinji looked at me and Rei and smiled. Then, he jumped into the black hole. It continued to shrink.

_We have to go now, too, Rei,_ I said, _I will help you to unlock your mind so that you may dream. You have my word on that._

_Very well,_ said Rei, _Let us return._

_Goodbye,_ said Yui, _Please take good care of my son._

_I give you my word,_ I promised, _He will have my guidance when he needs it._

_Thank you,_ said the dark-haired woman.

Rei and I jumped into the dark hole and felt ourselves spiraling out of control. An instant later, we tumbled back onto the catwalk in the Eva cage. I blinked my eyes back into focus to see a tearful, joyous Misato cradling a naked, semi-conscious Shinji in her arms.

"We were successful," I heard Rei say softly. I nodded, smiling with quiet happiness at the scene before my eyes. A family had just been reunited, and Rei and I had been instrumental in making it happen.


	9. The Problem

Chapter 9

"Andrew," said Rei a short time later, "I am confused about something."

"What's that, Rei?"

"When we went to the Astral Plane, you led our way and your knowledge was quite extensive. Yet, you still brought me along, even though you did not require my aid in contacting Ikari. Why?"

"A number of reasons, Rei," I answered, "First, I _did_ need you to be there. As I said while we were drifting, it is unwise to project yourself onto the Astral Plane alone in anything other than a dream. The way we were there, a telepathic projection, can cause madness if you don't have someone else's thoughts with you to focus on. You kept us both sane; just with your presence."

I saw Rei blush the palest of pinks. Her face softened, and her eyes became very gentle.

"Secondly," I continued, "I needed you there when we contacted Shinji because you two _know_ each other. He _trusts_ you. If I had attempted to contact him _alone_, he would probably have dismissed me as a phantasm or vision of some kind. With you by my side, he could not doubt that we were real."

Rei nodded as her blush deepened slightly. Taking a chance, I asked:

"Rei, are you okay? You're blushing."

At my observation, Rei's blush darkened to a deep red. She seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but held herself in check and tried to withdraw even farther from me.

"You're turning redder," I said, lightly teasing her, "Are you _sure_ there's nothing wrong?"

"I am…fine," Rei whispered.

_You are embarrassing me,_ came Rei's thought message.

_Why?_

_You know why,_ Rei said, sounding almost…_irritated_.

_Yeah, but I want you to _tell_ me,_ I said, meeting her eye and giving her a smug smile.

_Very well,_ said Rei calmly, _You are complimenting me in the presence of several people, one of whom is our commanding officer._

_What? You don't like to be complimented?_ I asked, feigning shock.

_Not in a public setting,_ Rei replied.

_That's when compliments carry the most weight, though, _I countered.

_It makes me uncomfortable_, Rei said shortly.

_Okay, okay, I'm sorry,_ I said, _I'll just compliment you when we're alone, all right?_

_That would be suitable,_ Rei replied.

I rolled my eyes with exasperation. This girl was just being impossible. How could I get closer to her if she wouldn't allow herself to accept simple compliments? Rei and I walked over to where Misato was still cradling Shinji in her lap.

"H-he came back!" Misato hiccupped, looking up at Rei and me, "Th-they got him back!"

"So I see," I said.

_Will you ever tell her the truth?_ Rei asked.

_It's not my truth to tell,_ I replied, _If _Shinji_ chooses to tell her, he is allowed. But it is for him, and him alone, to tell her._

I listened to the reunited pair's thoughts. Shinji's were full of fatigue and a lingering reluctance to have left his mother. But, underneath it all, I sensed that he was, indeed happy to be back home.

Misato's thoughts were filled with immeasurable gratitude at seeing Shinji alive again. Also, I noticed a small, minute, and almost _undetectable_ amount of lust in her thoughts in seeing Shinji in the nude. I shook my head in disbelief. The boy she cared about had just been released after being inside of his Eva for a month solid, and she was checking out his _package_! It was revolting. However, I had to give the woman _some_ credit. She had those feelings pushed to the very back of her mind, and I sensed that the only reason she was _having_ those feelings was because she was feeling very sexually frustrated. It had been a long time since she had been with a man.

_That settles it,_ I thought to myself with resolve, _As loathe as I am to do it, I'm gonna have to subtly influence Misato and Hyuga's thoughts and feelings and get the two of them together. They're a match made in heaven; completely perfect for each other, even if they don't know it yet._

_You are planning something again,_ said Rei, _Are you willing to tell me what?_

_Are you willing to keep my confidence?_

_Of course,_ Rei replied.

_I'm going to try and subtly influence Misato and Hyuga and get them together,_ I said, _I'm not sure quite _how_ I'm going to pull that off, yet, but I've got to try. They both need each other._

_Do they have underlying feelings for each other?_

_Hyuga does,_ I answered, _He's completely in love with Misato. She, however, doesn't feel the same way. I don't think she really sees him as much more than a co-worker._

_Her thoughts could be a challenge to manipulate, then,_ Rei observed.

_Could be,_ I agreed, _Wait a second, Asuka's coming._

And that she was. A few seconds after my telepathic warning, the red-head walked onto the catwalk and made a beeline for Shinji, carrying a bathrobe. Without even pausing to notice the boy's nudity, Asuka wrapped him up in the robe and then proceeded to pull him into a crushing bear-hug. Her thoughts mirrored Misato's relief and gratitude to have him back.

"Come on, Asuka," Misato said, "let's take him home."

"Yeah," Asuka replied quietly. Her mind was in stunned silence. She didn't know quite what to think. She had almost given Shinji up for lost, and now here he was back in her life. I could only stand to skim the surface of her feelings at that moment, because I knew that if I tried to delve too deeply, I would be swallowed and drowned in the torrent of emotion. She was overwhelmed. As the two women walked past Rei and me, supporting Shinji between them, Asuka caught my eye and smiled. I gave her a gentle smile in return.

"Rei, if there's nothing else that's going to go wrong today, I'm gonna to go home," I said, joking a little bit.

"Very well," my companion replied.

"You know, it wouldn't _kill_ you to lighten _up_ a little bit," I remarked starting to walk out of the cage.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked, walking after me.

"What I mean is, you always treat everything like it's so deadly serious," I said, "Not _everything_ has to be regarded as _business_. Some things are purely pleasure to talk about."

"Such as?"

"Such as…food," I suggested, "Like me, for instance, there's nothing I enjoy more than a big, juicy cut of rib-eye steak char-grilled to perfection and smothered in steak sauce. How about you?"

"I dislike eating meat," Rei said flatly.

"Why?" I asked. I had nothing against vegetarians, but I always wondered what made them choose not to partake of meat.

"To obtain meat, a living thing must die," Rei answered, "I think it is wrong to kill in order to sustain myself."

"But isn't that what we're doing as Eva pilots?" I asked, "When we kill the Angels, isn't it just to sustain our own existence? By killing the things that are trying to kill _us_, we are ensuring that our species has a future."

"That is a different situation," Rei argued, "When I say sustenance, I mean eating. The way you use the word 'sustenance', you imply it to mean the continuation of a species."

"It's all the same," I retorted, "A species must _feed_ itself in order to _sustain_ itself. The natural way that most species of animals on this earth sustain themselves is to prey on other animals."

"Unless the animal is herbivorous," Rei pointed out.

"Granted," I acceded, "But, humans are not strictly herbivorous. We have the capacity to eat meat and meat is a source of vital nutrients that our body needs."

"Those nutrients can be synthesized in a capsule form," said Rei.

"You're trying to rationalize," I shot back, "Taking pills for everything is not the way nature intended us to absorb our body's needs. I won't deny that, in order for meat to be obtained, animals must die, but you should try to understand that everything on this earth has a purpose. Cows, sheep, goats, deer, and other producer animals have their purpose: To provide food for their keepers. They give us milk, cheese, and, in many cases, meat as well. That is their purpose."

"But they must die in order to give that meat," Rei repeated, failing to find another argument.

"Rei, just understand that I'm trying to get you to see both sides of the argument, okay?" I asked, sensing her frustration, "I'm not trying to change your mind, or make you eat meat if you don't want to. I'm just trying to help you see things with an open mind. I won't claim to see everything with an open mind; especially where _my_ likes and dislikes are concerned, but I have to try and help others to see past that. It's just something I do."

"I understand," Rei replied.

The two of us talked for the whole train ride back up to the city. I was surprised. While I had been at NERV Central, I hadn't heard Rei carry on a conversation with anyone for as long as she and I had been talking. When we finally reached street level and disembarked, Rei started to walk away quickly. I took two large steps to catch up with her and caught her by the hand. She turned and looked at me curiously.

"Hold on a second, Rei," I said nervously, "Um…oh, damn, I lost my train of thought."

Rei continued to stare at me quizzically.

"It happens every time I look at you," I admitted, "I just…sort of…lose it."

"Lose what?" Rei asked innocently.

"My train of thought," I answered. Rei giggled quietly.

"When you laugh like that, it gets even worse," I whispered, blushing furiously.

"I will stop then," Rei said, sobering instantly, "If my laughter distracts you, I will refrain from laughing."

"That's not it!" I said, aghast, "Good God, I could _never_ tire of your laughter or feel more than pleasantly distracted by it."

"Then what is it about my laughing…?"

"That makes me so awkward?" I finished, "Well…it's like this…I-I…Oh, man I can't _say_ it!"

Feeling like a damned fool, I let go of Rei's hand, turned tail, and ran the whole way back to my apartment. As I slammed my door, panting hard and sweating cold, I cursed myself up and down for running away like that.

_Why am I suddenly so _scared_ of her?_ I asked myself, _Is it because she and I went to the Astral Plane together? Or is it that she's an empath like me? What is it about her that's _tormenting_ me?!_

I kept wondering and worrying about it for the rest of the afternoon. I even went so far as to work myself out doing push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups on my bedroom door frame until I was barely able to move. However, physical exhaustion couldn't dull my state of mental stimulation. Between my anxiety over running away from the situation with Rei, and my new mental powers that were broadcasting me the peripheral thoughts of every person within two square blocks, my brain was so chattery that I doubted that I would ever sleep again.

_I have to find a way to turn these powers _off_!_ I complained to myself, _Hearing all of these unrestrained thoughts is driving me mad! I can hardly hear _myself_ think over everyone else's thinking. What am I going to _do_?_

I thought about it for a while, despite how difficult it was to do with all of the psychic chatter. Then, I went into my bedroom and sat down on my bed in a cross-legged style. I placed my hands lightly on my knees, closed my eyes, and started to breathe deeply through my nose. I was trying to meditate and find a way of blocking out all of the noisy thoughts. Slowly, ever so slowly, as I withdrew into my own thoughts, all of the others fell silent until I was left with only my own thoughts. I sighed with relief. I had found a way to relax my mind. As soon as my mind was relaxed, my body seemed to remember just how exhausted it really was. My eyelids drooped and I flopped backwards onto my bed and was asleep almost instantly.

The next morning I awoke with my head ringing. After a few seconds, I realized that it was just the telephone, so I got up to answer it. Before I even picked up the receiver, I knew who it was.

_Telepathy,_ I thought, _the only caller I.D. I'll _ever_ need. What's Misato wanna talk about?_

"Hello?" I asked.

"Andrew, it's Misato," came the purple-haired major's voice, "I was just thinking…you never came over for that breakfast we offered you that first morning you moved in, so…"

"Give me about twenty minutes to get cleaned up and dressed, Misato," I said, "then I'll be over, okay?."

"Sure, okay," she replied, "See you then."

"Bye," I said. Then, I hung up the phone and headed for the bathroom. After a quick shower and shave, I pulled my damp hair back into a ponytail and headed for my dresser. Selecting some comfortable clothes, I walked out my door and down the hall to my neighbors. I rang the doorbell.

"It's open!" came Asuka's voice.

"Good morning all," I said as I entered the apartment. The place looked like mine, just…fuller and messier. Sitting at the dining room table, I found Misato sipping on a beer with two more empty cans on the table in front of her. This woman really packed it away! I sensed that those first two cans had been finished off in the span of less than five minutes after she had called me.

_How can she drink so much before 9 am?_ I wondered, _She's gonna end up with so many health problems that her _liver_ is going to be the _least_ of her worries!_

Then, I pulled back and thought about it logically. Alcoholics always had some reason for drinking as much as they did. Usually, that reason involved some kind of traumatic pain that they are trying to forget or drown out with the booze. I guessed that from Misato's history of relationship issues, she was trying to fill the empty holes in her heart with beer and liquor. The only problem with trying to fill a hole with a liquid is: the liquid doesn't stick in the holes and leaves you feeling emptier after it leaks out.

Asuka came bouncing over to me and gave me a friendly hug. Somewhat awkwardly, I returned the hug and blushed.

"Guten morgan, Andrew," said Asuka, releasing me.

"Guten morgan, fraulein," I responded in fluent German.

"Sprechen sie Deuscht?" Asuka asked, amazed.

"Umm, actually, I just shot my entire German vocabulary saying good morning to you," I admitted sheepishly.

"Well, it's the thought that counts," said Asuka, "Hey, Shinji! How's breakfast coming in there?"

"You're not seriously making him _cook_ on his first day _back_, are you?" I asked disapprovingly.

"Nobody's _making_ me to do anything," I heard Shinji say from the kitchen, "I _like_ cooking. And trust me, you don't want to eat Asuka or Misato's cooking. Asuka doesn't know _how_ to cook, and the only thing _Misato_ knows how to make are instant dinners. If I didn't know how to _cook_, I'd have starved to death by now!"

Shinji and I both burst into a raucous fit of laughter that made Misato scowl and Asuka march rather angrily into the kitchen. I heard a slapping sound followed by an exclamation of pain from Shinji.

"You know, you used to only slap me in the _face_, Asuka," Shinji said, rather louder than necessary, "I didn't know you wanted to touch my _butt_."

"_Shieβe_!" Asuka squealed, "Will you just shut the hell _up_?! Misato doesn't need to hear that!"

"Misato!" Shinji called, pretending to tattle-tale on her, "Asuka's grabbing my ass!"

"Whatever," Misato mumbled through her beer can.

I started laughing again despite myself. If I had known mornings were as much fun in Shinji's apartment as they _appeared_ to be, I would have taken Misato up on that breakfast offer a long _time_ ago. A few minutes later, Shinji and Asuka came out to the dining room table carrying plates of food.

"Have you ever had a Japanese breakfast before, Andrew?" Shinji asked.

"Not that I can remember," I answered truthfully.

"Well," my friend replied, "dig in. Rice, miso soup, and some natto."

"And for those of us who have a little more _Western_ taste," said Asuka, "There's toast, jam, bacon, and coffee."

"I'll have what _she's_ having," I said gratefully. I don't have anything against trying food from other cultures, but when it comes to breakfast, I like to have something that I'm at least semi-familiar with. I'm just weird that way, I guess. While Asuka and I ate our Western breakfast, Shinji and Misato had a Japanese breakfast, and, in Misato's case, I noticed she washed every other bite of food down with a large swig of beer.

"Umm, not to be nosy or anything, but how much do you normally _drink_, Misato?" I asked cautiously.

"What?" she asked, sounding more than a _little_ tipsy, "You think I'm unhealthy? Well, missster, I'll have you know that I've never been fore mit in my life!"

_Oh yeah, she's drunk,_ I thought,_ Hmm…now that I think about it, this could make manipulating her thoughts to pair her up with Hyuga that much easier. If I plant subliminal cues in her mind while she's pasted, she won't question where they come from. The question is: How do I get them all together in a situation where Misato is sure to drink and won't feel embarrassed around Hyuga…?_

"So," I said, trying to sound casual, "Shinji Ikari's back home, at last. I would assume that Misato would have hosted some kind of celebration in honor of that homecoming?"

"Nah, not last night," said Asuka, sounding a little disappointed, "She wanted to, but Shinji said he was too tired and just wanted to go to bed."

"We're gonna party _tonight_, though!" Misato roared happily. After her loud exclamation, I heard a squawking sound coming from the kitchen.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh, that's just Pen-Pen," said Shinji, "He's our other housemate. Hey, Pen-Pen! Come on out and say hello to our guest!"

I watched as a funny little feathered creature come waddling out into the dining room. He appeared to be some manner of penguin, but I couldn't discern what species. He had some manner of claws on the tips of his wings. They looked almost like fingers, truth be told. Pen-Pen also had red crests over each of his eyes and a strange, metal pack on his back. I had to admit, he looked rather cute and cuddly.

"Hi, Pen-Pen," I said.

"WARK!" was the little penguin's response as it waved one of its flipper-like hands at me. Then, it turned around and waddled back into the kitchen to finish its breakfast.

_Such a funny little family,_ I thought drolly, _Ah, well. Let's see how things are going on the Shinji-Asuka front?_

I reached out and read Asuka's mind. I still read all of her feelings of love and desire for Shinji, but I also sensed a certain amount of patience. She was waiting for him to get reacclimated to his old life before approaching him with a possible change. I was impressed.

_She's changed more than I gave her credit for,_ I thought, _She's actually waiting to spring her feelings on Shinji until she thinks he's ready. Good for you, Red._

"So," said Asuka, "how's Rei?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to avoid the question.

"Well, the two of you walked home together, yesterday, _didn't_ you?" Asuka demanded, sounding like her old self.

"Well, yeah, we did, but--,"

"Then are you a couple or what?" Asuka asked eagerly.

"No!" I insisted.

"Oh, don't give me that," the red-head scoffed, "C'mon, you think we can't _see_ the way you stare at her when we're all together? Good lord, anyone with _half_ a brain could see that you're totally in _love_ with her. Don't _lie_ to us, Andrew. Admit it; you're in love with Rei."

I bit my tongue nervously. How the hell had Asuka hit the nail so accurately on the head? Why was it that women could see affairs of the heart so clearly when men had to stumble around in the dark? These questions and many others flooded my brain as I considered whether to lie again or actually come clean about it. I decided that truth might be a little bit more painful a course in the immediate moment, but it was still the better course to take.

"Okay, you want the truth?" I asked, "The truth is…"

"You love her," Asuka finished, not bothering to hear my answer, "Your hesitation says everything. Any time a guy hesitates when talking about a girl, it's because he really likes her."

"Be careful about how you generalize men," I cautioned, "I could say that any time a woman gets _pissy_, it's because it's almost time for her _period_."

"Now wait just a damn minute!" Asuka sputtered, "That's not true and you _know_ it!"

"By the same token, then, how can you be so quick to judge that every time a guy gets tongue-tied talking about a girl, he's in love with her?" I asked logically.

_Even if you're one hundred percent right this time?_ I added mentally.

"Because _that_ little assumption just _happens_ to be true!" Asuka shot back, "_It's_ true, _I'm_ right, and _you're_ in love with the Wonder Girl!"

"Back down a little bit, Asuka," Shinji said, coming to my defense, "Maybe Andrew _does_ love Rei. So _what_? In our own ways, we _all_ love each other."

"So you're saying that _I_ love _you_ and _you_ love _me_?" Asuka said, her tone still sounding a little bit mocking.

"In some way or another, yes," Shinji replied.

I sensed Asuka's heart leap with hope at Shinji's words. This girl was more clever than she gave herself credit for. She was brilliantly maneuvering Shinji into place to confess her feelings for him. All she had left to do was to isolate him long enough to blurt it out and maybe kiss him, and he would probably be hers. I suspected that this would work because with Shinji I sensed that, despite his bright outward appearance and seeming happiness at being back home, he was deeply saddened about being back out somewhere where he thought that there wasn't anyone who really cared about or loved him. Quietly, within my own thoughts, I urged Shinji to be patient for just a little bit longer. The rest of breakfast was occupied by Shinji and Asuka going back and forth with childish insults and name-calling. Finally, I had had my fill of their bickering and politely excused myself to go to Headquarters.

"See you later," Shinji said, looking away from Asuka for an instant.

"We have a team-synch test scheduled for today," Misato informed me, sounding more sober where work was concerned, "So be ready for it at 1100 hours."

"Yes, ma'am," I responded, giving a quick salute.

"Oh…go on, you," Misato said, waving me off.

"See you later, guys," I said. Then, I closed the door and went back to my apartment. After I picked up my work-out clothes, I started for the front door and stopped suddenly. All of a sudden, I felt terrified of walking out the door. I realized that Rei and I seemed to keep the same work-out hours and tended to be in the gym facilities at the same times. After the way I had run away from her yesterday, I wasn't sure if I could face her again so soon.

_You can just _avoid_ her, you coward_, I told myself sternly, _She's just a _girl_. Why are you so _worried_ about it?_

'_Because,'_ another part of me argued back, _'I really want her to like me. And I can't believe that I was so afraid of trying to talk to her about my feelings that I ran _away_ from her! That's never happened to me before. No girl has ever gotten inside my head like Rei has. She's…intoxicating to be around.'_

**A.N.: Thanks for taking the time to read this and for being so patient with me, readers! I was away from my computer for a little while taking some well-earned vacation. And, I have to warn you that from here on, progress and updates on this story might be a little few and far-between, since I'm going away to college in just a couple of weeks and with packing and last-minute preparations, things are gonna be a little crazy for me. But anyway, enough of my rambling, please post a review and tell all of your friends about my stories!**

**--Andrew Hildreth**


	10. The Talk

Chapter 10

As I jogged around town, I tried to block out my anxiety. To a lesser degree, it worked. By concentrating as hard as I could on running, I not only managed to shut out the worst of my fears of confronting Rei again, I was able to nearly double my run distance and time before heading to the train station to go to the Geofront. Sitting on the empty train, I caught my breath and waited for the cars to come to a stop. As they did, I wished that I could turn invisible; Rei was waiting on the train platform for me. Anyone that I might have said that to would have probably argued: _"Well, how can you be so sure she's waiting for _you_?"_ to which I would have replied: _"Hello? Telepath here; able to read people thoughts and intentions…DUH!"_ However, I stepped out of the train car and found myself face-to-face with the girl who was both my pursuer and quarry. As we stood there, an awkward silence permeating the air around us, Rei cocked a curious eyebrow at me.

"How was your breakfast with Ikari, Soryu, and Major Katsuragi?" she asked.

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew that," I replied.

"You do not wish to tell me?" Rei asked.

"Breakfast was fine, if you're really that interested," I said, somewhat tensely, "But what I'm more curious about is how the hell you _knew_ about it already."

"We share a telepathic rapport, do we not?" Rei asked, "Through it, I have learned to read your thoughts when you are not shutting yourself away, as you did when you returned to your apartment yesterday. Why were you so frightened?"

"Uh…"

"Are you frightened of _me_?" she asked, "If you are, your fear has been slow to manifest itself, as we have known each other for over a month."

"I'm not _afraid_," I said defensively, "I'm just…nervous."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "I just don't know, and I've been pondering that very question all morning long."

"Are you nervous around me because you have something you wish to ask me?" Rei asked.

I sighed deeply. My cowardice got the better of me and I started to walk away from Rei towards NERV HQ. However, as I expected would happen, Rei caught up with me and walked with me.

_Is it something that you do not wish to say out loud?_ Rei asked through our rapport.

_It's…something that's _hard_ for me to say, Rei,_ I replied, _And I don't know _why_ it's so hard for me to _say_ it. I mean, all I want to do is to ask you out on that date we talked about and--_

I froze. I couldn't believe that my own mind had betrayed me like that. I had just gotten so frustrated with myself that I allowed those thoughts to be broadcast over our rapport; no matter how rapidly my mind had spoken. Rei stopped next to me and looked me squarely in the eyes. An eternal moment passed.

_I accept._

_You…what?_ I asked, hardly believing what I was hearing.

_I accept your invitation, Andrew,_ Rei repeated, _When would you like to go on this…date?_

_Um…how about…tonight, if you've got nothing else planned,_ I said, still trying to get my mind wrapped around the idea that Rei actually accepted.

_There is little reason for me to refuse a social relationship with you,_ Rei thought in response to my thoughts, _You are a pleasant person to be around and your conversations are equally as pleasant._

_Would you quit responding to my rhetorical thoughts, please?_ I asked, feeling amused, and slightly _annoyed_ at Rei's constant responses to thoughts that I thought were private.

_I'm sorry,_ Rei thought, feeling hurt, _Tonight would be acceptable for our date._

_What time would you like me to pick you up?_

_That would depend on what you have planned,_ Rei replied, _If your plans include something that takes up an evening, such as a traditional dinner date, it would probably be wise of you to meet me around 1630 hours._

_I've never been one to rely on tradition,_ I said, _I thought we might go for a walk around the city and see what strikes us as interesting. I'll come and pick you up at 4 o'clock, all right?_

_Very well._

Rei and I started walking again. Surprisingly, I felt immensely relieved at having finally confronted my nemesis; that is, the possibility of taking Rei out on a date. I headed straight for the weight room, expecting Rei to stop when we reached the pool. She didn't. Rei walked into the weight room with me and settled herself onto one of the abdominal machines. I set myself up on a seated row machine and watched her while we worked out. I was surprised. Rei's thin build hid a very fit, muscular body; she was doing ab crunches with almost as much resistance as _I_ used. However, after a short rep of crunches, Rei stopped and walked over to where I was still rowing.

"Would you be willing to be my sparring partner for a few minutes?" she asked.

"You do martial arts?" I asked, fully surprised.

"I do," Rei replied, "I am currently a black belt in Jeet Kune Do as well as Aikido. I am sure you will find me a suitable challenge. I can only hope that you will provide me with suitable challenge, as well."

I chuckled disbelievingly. This quiet girl was following in the footsteps of martial arts greats like the Dragon himself; Bruce Lee. I was also, at the same time, rather concerned. All I knew about Jeet Kune Do and Aikido were theory and textbook information. While Aikido was merely a defensive discipline, Jeet Kune Do was a decidedly _offensive_ form. I marveled at how Rei had selected two opposite disciplines to compliment each other perfectly. The only martial arts I had ever learned were some Karate as well as some Jujitsu. I liked my Jujitsu training because, as big as I was, I could put some real power behind the submission holds and joint locks that I had mastered. I hoped that my training would be sufficient to allow me to put up a good fight.

Rei and I went to the locker rooms and changed into sparring uniforms. These uniforms consisted of a pair of polyester athletic pants and a tear-resistant T-shirt. I got changed first and returned to the weight room. I walked to the far back of the room where I found a large padded mat on the floor. I sat down on the mat and began to stretch and warm up. Rei walked in a minute later and started her own stretches. It amazed me how flexible this girl was. I stood up and started to warm up my reflexes. I did a little bit of Tai Chi Chuan and tried to focus. Rei stood up and started an elaborate-looking series of spins, kicks and katas.

"Are you ready, then?" I asked after Rei finally stopped moving.

"I think so," she replied, "Are you?"

"About as great as I'll ever be," I said. Rei walked out to the middle of the mat and motioned me to join her. Once we were facing each other, we bowed and struck up our stances. I made a feinting swing towards Rei's head, trying to draw her off balance. Instead, Rei ducked and jabbed up into my chin with the heel of her hand, making a loud _kiai_. I reeled, stunned by not only the _force_ of the blow, but the speed with which it struck. I didn't even see her move! While I was stunned, Rei grabbed my arm and dragged me to the mat, pinning me in a hammer lock. I tapped the mat twice with my free hand, the signal for "I surrender". Rei let me up.

"You're quick," I observed.

"Then read my thoughts to anticipate my actions," said Rei.

"Is that fair?"

"In a fight for your life, you cannot worry about so-called 'fairness'," said Rei, "You must do whatever it takes to preserve your own life."

"I will not take another person's life if it can be avoided," I said resolutely.

"Pilot Ikari has the same ideals," said Rei, "Now, prepare yourself and win this next match."

Rei moved forward to attack. This time, I allowed my mind and body to move as one, anticipating Rei's movements and countering them as they occurred. Despite seeing the moves coming, I was still barely able to counter them. Rei kept me on the defensive until I noticed a flaw in her form. I suspected that she was doing it deliberately. After all, how could she have made the rank of Dan if she had flawed form? I pressed in, striking at the side that she was leaving unguarded. As soon as I moved, though, I changed my strike, as I sensed Rei planning a trap grapple, using her exposed side as bait. Rei moved again, flowing from one move right into the next. Finally, though, I struck Rei's chest, knocking her to the mat. Rei did a kip-up and spun back to face me. With a loud yell, she aimed a kick at my head; I sensed it coming and brought my arm up to block. Before Rei had a chance to withdraw her foot, I caught her ankle, twisted it, and swept her other leg, bringing her down to the mat. With a feinted punch to her throat, simulating a killing strike, I cemented my victory. This match had lasted for nearly three minutes.

"Very good," said Rei, breathing heavily, yet calmly, "Now you are starting to fight correctly."

"Yeah," I panted, "Thanks. Listen, we've got a team-synch test in another half an hour. How about we swim a couple of laps, then get cleaned up and head for the lab?"

"I would like to stay and continue weight training," said Rei, "I am supposed to come in here twice a week and do moderate resistance training to maintain my physique."

"Then why did you want to spar with me?" I asked, confused, "Sparring doesn't exactly fall into the category--,"

"It sounded like…fun," Rei interrupted, "I thought that perhaps you might like to give it a try. We do not have to do it often if you do not wish to."

"No, that's fine, we can… wait, did you just use the word 'fun'?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes, I did," said Rei, "Did I use it incorrectly?"

"No, not at all," I replied, "I've just…never heard you use that particular adjective before. It's nice."

"Thank you," said Rei.

A half-hour later, Rei and I joined Shinji and Asuka in the testing lab, preparing for our team-synch test. Misato and Dr. Akagi walked in a few moments later and looked us over.

"All right, everyone," Misato said, "We're going to try a slightly different approach to today's test. It's going to be a sort of race. Andrew, you and Rei are going to pair off against Shinji and Asuka and run through identical courses at the same time. The pair that makes it through with the fastest time and fewest errors will win."

"Will win what?" Asuka asked eagerly.

"Bragging rights," Akagi said shortly, "It doesn't really matter, Asuka. Just try not to take it too seriously. Remember, it's just a test."

"Whatever," said Asuka.

"Anyone else have any questions?" Misato asked.

"No ma'am," I said. Shinji shook his head, so did Rei.

"All right, then," Misato said, clapping her hands together, "Mount up and show us what you've got."

"Sounds like fun," I said, glancing over at Rei. Rei caught my eye and gave me a small smile.

A short time later, all of the Eva pilots, myself included, were seated and waiting in our entry plugs. My view screen came to life with the simulator program. I saw another military-style obstacle course setting itself up before my eyes. I looked over to my right and saw Unit-00's blue armor crouched next to me. I looked to my left and saw Units 01 and 02 crouched on the starting line, watching the same obstacle course set itself up.

"Now," Akagi's voice said over our comm. lines, "The rules this time around are basically the same as the last team-synch test. No talking is allowed; only hand signals and body language. Andrew, after yours and Rei's last performance together, we're expecting great results from the two of you today. An additional rule for this test is: Neither team may interfere with the progress of the other team. The fastest time and fewest mistakes will win. Are you all ready?"

"_Hai_," said Rei in her usual "business" voice.

"Roger," said Shinji.

"_Jawhol_," said Asuka.

"Let's rock and roll!" I exclaimed.

"Begin!"

All audio feeds went dead. The four of us sprinted off of the start. After a few minutes of a dead-heat race, the four of us sprinted for the finish line. I sensed something:

_Rei concentrate!_ I shouted mentally, _You're about to--!_

My warning came too late. Unit 00's feet became entangled with one another and she went flying face first into the ground. Having anticipated her tripping, I was ready to catch Rei before she hit the ground. As she fell into my arms, I boosted her across the finish line in front of Asuka and Shinji and pushed myself as hard as I could to follow her. By boosting Rei forward and running hard, I was able to make it so that we all finished together in a tie. Misato was impressed; Akagi wasn't.

"Andrew, Rei, what the hell happened?" she demanded, "The two of you worked much better than this the last time. What made such a difference _this_ time?"

"I don't know," I lied, "Maybe we were just tired. Rei and I got done working out together not thirty minutes before we came down here for this."

"You did the _last_ test with a pulled ligament in your right shoulder," Akagi said, sounding more bitchy than usual, "Or did you think I didn't _know_ about your little weight room accident?"

"Oh, I figured you'd know," I said, "After all, you _are_ a doctor, and _do_ have access to all of our records, medical and otherwise."

"That's right," she said, "So the 'we were just tired' excuse isn't going to fly with me. I want you and Rei to go through it again, by yourselves and I want you to beat the time you just set this time through. Reset the course!"

Rei and I were put back at the starting line of the course. This time, when I looked to my left and right, I saw Rei to my right and duplicates of us to my left. I presumed that this was the "ghost-clock" program, set up so that we could race ourselves.

_All right Rei,_ I thought, _You heard Dr. Akagi. No holding back this time, all right? Full speed, no mistakes, maximum performance._

_All right,_ Rei replied coolly. I sensed confidence in her words. She knew as well as I did that the only reason we had finished in a tie with Shinji and Asuka was because she and I had held back and deliberately made small errors in order to make the race closer and more interesting for us.

Rei and I finished the second run through the course so fast that we were able to look back across the finish line and watch our ghosts come sailing across the line. Misato could hardly contain her shock. Akagi came over the comm. line with a satisfied tone of voice:

"That's more like it. I don't want to see you two slacking off any more, is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied exasperatedly.

"Don't take that tone with me, Andrew," Akagi threatened, "Remember, I report _directly_ to the Commander."

_And you _sleep_ with him, too,_ I thought.

_She does what?_ Rei asked.

_Oh, damn, those thoughts were supposed to be _private_,_ I thought, embarrassed by my carelessness. I had just broadcast my blackmail ammo to Rei over our rapport.

_What you just heard stays between you and me, all right?_ I asked, _If Akagi knew that _you_ knew that she was having sex with the Commander, we'd _both_ be in trouble._

_I already knew of their sexual relationship,_ said Rei, _The Commander informed me of her constant insistence that he make love to her. He finds her boring and annoying._

I laughed mentally.

_How did _you_ come to find out about the nature of their relationship?_ Rei asked curiously.

_It was one of the first things I learned about Akagi back when I first came to this branch,_ I responded, _Back when I was still an empath, I mentioned the Commander around her once and her body responses spiked through the roof._

Rei chuckled softly. I switched my attention back to the present surroundings. Misato and Dr. Akagi were finishing up a lecture on the importance of good teamwork on the battlefield. It was all very rehearsed, and all of us knew it, and I really don't think either one of the two women expected us to take their speech seriously. It was just something they were expected to say to us.

"All right, you guys," Misato said, "That's all for today."

"Cool," said Shinji, "Uh…Hey, Andrew?"

"What's up?" I asked.

"Would you mind coming with me to the gym? I want to talk to you about something privately," Shinji said cautiously.

"Yeah, sure," I responded, reaching out to read Shinji's mind. I wanted to know exactly what he was planning on asking me so that I knew how to respond to it. What I found was almost exactly what I was expecting.

The primary concern swirling around in Shinji's head was the memory of his time inside his Eva. He was wondering if it was a dream, and if it _was_, why he had dreamed about me and Rei coming to find him. He was also curious about the change in Asuka's behavior towards him. From what he remembered, Asuka was always a bitch. She hit him, she picked on him, and she constantly belittled him. Why, all of a sudden, was she being so _nice_ to him?

The two of us walked down to the weight room and gym facility and settled in. Shinji started to run on a treadmill while I punched at a heavy bag. We went about our exercises in silence for nearly five minutes before Shinji spoke:

"I've been having a really strange dream," he said, between his running breaths, "In this dream, I thought I saw my mother. She and I were sitting in a green, grassy field together. Then, I saw you and Rei walk over to us, Andrew."

"Did we say anything?" I grunted between punches.

"I don't remember everything," said Shinji, "but I _do_ remember you two were saying something about me having to go _back_ somewhere. I can remember not wanting to go at first, but you said that I could come back and see my mom any time I wanted in my dreams."

I smiled as I punched and kicked. Shinji remembered well. He continued:

"I had a different dream about my mom last night, though," Shinji said, "She and I were just standing there, looking at each other and talking. It was nice. And speaking of _nice_, have you noticed how un-Asuka-like Asuka's been acting?"

"How do you mean?" I asked. Then, I gave a loud Karate yell and roundhouse kicked the bag.

"Well…she's being…_nice_ to me," Shinji said, sounding somewhat awkward.

"How's that strange?" I asked.

"Well, for as long as I've known Asuka, she's been decidedly _not_ nice to me," said Shinji, "She always called me a 'baka' and a pervert, and she's just not been nice. But, you saw her this morning. She's all smiles and affection towards me now. What's the deal?"

"Well Shinji," I said, circling the bag like an opponent, "While you were inside Unit-01—KYAH!—there was another Angel attack."

"What?!" Shinji gasped, "Was anyone--?"

"No one got hurt," I reassured him quickly, "Not seriously, anyway. Asuka's mind was partially invaded by the Angel's mind-beam attack. I think that it might have awakened and changed parts of her that she thought she had long-since gotten rid of. Since then, she's been much friendlier towards people. She's even stopped calling _Rei_ names."

"Now _that's_ amazing," Shinji agreed. He got down off of the treadmill and did some post-run stretches.

"You know," he remarked as he stretched, "You and Ayanami seem to have gotten really close. Are you two going out?"

"If you're going to start with the same kind of teasing that Asuka was this morning--," I started, automatically defensive.

"No, no, that's not it at all," Shinji said, throwing up his hands in mock-surrender, "I'm just curious about how you're able to relate to her. She's kind of a hard person to get close to."

"I don't know," I said. I had to think of a quick half-truth.

"I just…understand how she feels, I guess," I said, "She and I are more alike than you know. I've come out of it over the last few years, but when I was younger, right after my brother died, I sort of…withdrew from everyone; shut myself into my own thoughts. I didn't want anyone else to get close enough to—YAH!—hurt me. Once I started piloting Eva, though, things changed. I felt more—HYAH!—at ease. Eventually, I started to come out of the shell I had built around myself. I guess I sort of see my own situation in Rei, and I sort of hope that I can help her come out of _her_ shell, too."

"Well, it would be great if you could," said Shinji.

"That's why I'm glad she agreed to go out with me tonight," I said.

"Oh, god, don't let Asuka know that the two of you are going on a date," Shinji chuckled, "You'll _never_ hear the end of it if you do."

"Yeah," I laughed in agreement, "well… Can I make a suggestion?"

"What about?"

"About how to deal with Asuka," I replied.

"Oh, sure," Shinji said.

"You really want to know?" I asked tantalizingly.

"Yeah."

"You're _sure_ you want to know?"

"Just tell me already!" Shinji snapped.

"Okay," I said briskly, "Here's your suggestion: take her out to dinner."

"Are you kidding me?" Shinji asked, a disbelieving look on his face, "You want me to take _Asuka_ out on a _date_?"

"Why not?" I asked, "You're both young, single, and available. Why not give it a try? You might find that you _like_ being out with her."

_And I know that Asuka would _love_ the alone time with _you_, Shinji_, I finished mentally, subliminally inserting the thought under the surface of Shinji's mind. He would know it was there, but he would think that it was just a random intuition that he was having for himself. I laughed internally at my own shamelessness. Here I was, looking at my _own_ potential relationship, and I was setting Shinji up with a girl who had a major-league crush on for him.

"You know," Shinji said, "I think I might just _do_ that…The question becomes: Where do I want to take her?"

"Well, think about it a little bit," I said, "But don't wait too long, 'cause a hot dish like Asuka won't stay single for long."

I added the last mock-warning for dramatic effect. I knew for a fact that Asuka didn't want anyone but Shinji, and she would wait for him forever, if need be. But she was planning on making her _own_ moves on starting a relationship, and I really wanted Shinji to make the first move; to build his own confidence and, subsequently, build Asuka's confidence in _his_ confidence.


	11. The Awakening

Chapter 11

Shinji and I worked out together for another half an hour, until we were both tired and sweaty. As we walked out of the gym, I looked over at him and clapped a hand around his shoulders, and said:

"You know something, Shinji, you're all right. Spend a few more hours per week in the gym and you'll really start putting on some muscle to match that powerful jaw you've got going on."

"Right," Shinji laughed, "Well, I don't think I'll ever be as built as _you_ are, Andrew, but I _would_ sort of like to put on a few more pounds of muscle. I'm tired of always being the skinny one of the group. You know…Toji was always a jock and a muscle-head, too."

_So, he's finally ready to talk about it,_ I thought, _Good. Let's nudge him along._

"I heard about the battle," I said seriously, "about the Angel and all that. What happened? If he was your friend like you say he was, why did you kill him?"

"I didn't want to!" Shinji exclaimed, suddenly very emotional and angry, "My father took over my Eva and used it to rip him to pieces!"

"What?!" I asked. This wasn't at all the answer I was expecting.

"When the Thirteenth Angel attacked, it took out Asuka and Ayanami first," Shinji said, breathing very fast and looking off into space, "I was left alone to fight this thing that used to be an Eva. I was going to destroy the thing when I saw that the entry plug was still in the back. Toji was still trapped inside that raging machine. I refused to fight him. The Angel started to strangle me. Even though I was afraid of dying, I still didn't want to fight my friend. I felt my connections to Unit-01 go dead, even though the power was still on. My father switched control of Unit-01 over to the Dummy Plug system and ordered it to attack. It did; without any mercy or emotion. It ripped Toji's Eva to pieces, eventually ripping out the entry plug and crushing it in its hand! Toji died because of large internal traumas…and he died because I was too afraid to fight."

"You can't possibly believe that?" I said, slightly outraged at not only the Commander's actions, but Shinji's guilt, as well.

"What other explanation _is_ there, Andrew?" Shinji demanded, "If I hadn't been such a coward and actually _fought_ for myself, I might have been able to find a way to defeat the Angel and save Toji, too! Instead, I left him to the mercy of my _father_, who _has_ no mercy!"

"Who told you that it was your fault?" I asked, "Was it your father?"

"No," Shinji replied quietly, "It was Mr. Kaji. He was a good mentor to me. He helped me to understand why I fight, although I still don't really think I understand. He was almost like an older brother and a father figure; more of a father than my _real_ father, anyway."

"Shinji, it wasn't your fault," I said firmly, "Toji died as soon as the Angel took over his Eva. Even if your Eva _hadn't_ killed him, he probably would have died anyway. A friend of mine at the American branch of NERV once told me that if a pilot's mind or Evangelion becomes corrupted by an Angel's influence, the pilot and his Eva are both eliminated. Even if you had found some way of rescuing Toji, NERV probably would have had him executed. I'm sorry."

"He still didn't deserve to die by the hands of his best friend!" Shinji cried.

"You have no blood on your hands," I stated calmly, "Toji's blood, like the blood of so many others, stains the hands of but one man: Gendo Ikari."

"Yeah," Shinji replied, starting to calm down, "I…I guess you're right, Andrew. Now that I think about it, I feel more and more like my father should be punished for what he's done!"

"Have no fear, young Ikari, his time will come," I answered. At least, I _thought_ it was me answering him. The voice sounded distant and foreign to me, though; as though someone _else_ were speaking through my mouth using my voice. While that voice spoke, I could hear a whispering in my ears, as though from behind me or at a great distance.

_Who are you?_ I asked, trying to touch minds with this new voice.

There was no answer. Instead, I saw Shinji quirk a questioning eyebrow at me and heard him say:

"Ohhh…kayyy…Um, Andrew, you sorta sounded like a different person right there."

"Did I?" I asked, trying to sound innocent, "Sorry about that. I was just so concentrated on how much I think your dad needs to be brought to justice that I got a little intense. Hope I didn't scare you too badly."

"Nah, it's all good," Shinji replied, "Hey, uh, listen: You and Ayanami have fun tonight, all right? Where are you gonna go?"

"We don't know yet," I answered, "I figured we'd just kind of walk around the city and see what strikes us."

"That's the best kind of walk," Shinji remarked, "You know, just wandering around and seeing the sights."

I nodded. Back home in the States, it had always been a hobby of mine to go for long, aimless hikes in the woods, just to see what I could find back there. I looked at the clock, it read "1200".

"Hey, uh, listen Shinji," I said, "I'm gonna go and grab a bite to eat, and then I'm gonna head for home. Just, uh, think about what I said about Asuka, okay? And don't worry; things will work out for the best, one way or the other."

"Sure," Shinji replied, "See you later, Andrew."

After a quick and rather _tasteless_ lunch at the commissary, I took the train back up to the city. Normally, I would have just jogged back to my apartment, but today, I decided to do something different. Not only was I just too tired to run, I was actually interested in seeing a little bit of the city and being able to stop and look instead of having to keep running the whole time.

For the most part, it was just a standard city view. Much of the street-front venues were taken up by shops and restaurants. Here and there I would spot an apartment high-rise or office building. Eventually, of course, I wound up at the apartment complex that I shared with Misato and the others. When I let myself into my apartment, I headed straight for the bathroom. I felt so sticky and crappy that I wasn't sure how I managed to make it home without showering first. I stood in the shower, just listening to the sound of the water pouring over me.

_Soothing,_ I thought serenely, _Everything around me is so jumbled and chaotic. I feel as though I'm going mad. I heard a different voice speaking through me today when I talked with Shinji. It _sounded_ like me, but it _wasn't_ me all at the same time._

_It was us_, I heard a voice in my mind say.

"What?" I whispered aloud, "Who said that?"

_We did,_ the voice said, again using a plural pronoun, _We are the combination of Your humanity and Arael's Angelic essence. We are a new being, You and I._

_Oh, great, _I thought, _Now I'm hearing voices. Piloting Eva has finally driven me looney._

_You are not mad,_ the voice assured me, _You are merely taking steps into a grander plan. Embrace what You are, and You will have the power to bring justice against all those who commit atrocities against our Creator. We are His strong right hand._

_Do we have a name?_ I asked. Despite how obscure all of this sounded, I somehow knew that it was all true.

_Our true name cannot be pronounced by a human's tongue,_ the voice in my head said, _You would never be able to comprehend its beauty until You are truly in touch with Your Divinity. In time, You will know your name and purpose. Your time on this Earth has dawned, Avenger. There is such pain in the Mortal Realm that Your spirit has been awakened. Our Creator has a need for You now._

_A need for me?_ I asked, not comprehending, _There must be some mistake. _I_ can't be a protector. I'm just a _pilot_ who was gifted with empathic abilities._

_You are far more than that, Avenger,_ the voice said, _You chose to absorb Arael through a mental attack. Doing this awakened Your dormant potential, young one._

"That's enough!" I shouted into my empty apartment, "I don't want to hear anymore! I'm not an Angel! I just want to live a normal life!"

The voice in my mind fell silent after my outburst. Suddenly, I feared for my sanity. I had just had a conversation with a voice inside my head.

"I'm not crazy," I hissed over the trickle of the shower, "I'm not crazy. I'm just tired, and under a lot of stress, that's all."

_You are lying to Yourself._

"Shut up!" I roared. Suddenly, several tiles of the shower wall shattered and exploded. One of the larger fragments flew towards my face, bound for my eyes. Without my even thinking about it, my AT Field deployed, deflecting the dangerous shrapnel and saving my vision. I shut off the shower and looked down at the mess on my shower floor.

"Did…_I_ do this?" I wondered quietly, "Have I developed some _new_ power other than my telepathy? What's _happening_ to me?"

Suddenly, I felt my back bursting with pain. Two spots, near my shoulder blades, felt like they were on fire. The temperature in the shower seemed to rise to near-unbearable levels. I stumbled out into the main room of my apartment, hugging my ribs as the pain grew.

My back seemed to split open as the fire spilled out of my skin. I glanced up and looked at myself in my hallway mirror. I gaped at my reflection.

Sprouting from my back were two large angel wings! However, instead of white feathers, the wings looked to be made of fire and molten light. I tried to reach around to touch one, but found myself unable to reach. I flexed my shoulders, and the wings wrapped around me. I felt the fiery feathers caress my skin. They didn't burn; they felt cool. I brought one of my hands up and gently stroked one of my wings. The "feathers" were soft and smooth to the touch.

"What the hell's going on?" I asked aloud, "Why do I have _wings_?"

_They are but the first signs of Your newfound Divinity,_ I heard my head-voice say, _More signs will soon appear._

_How soon?_ I demanded.

_I cannot say,_ the voice replied evenly, _It all depends on Your willingness to believe. If You accept with Your true heart and do not flag in Your belief, the signs will come quickly and You may fulfill Your purpose to the Creator in short order. However, if You _deny_ that You have been blessed with Divine power by the Creator, the signs will take longer to appear and they will be more painful when they _do_ appear. The appearance of Your wings is proof of that._

"I don't _want_ this!" I protested, "I never _asked_ to be chosen by God! I just want to live a normal life and find a nice girl to settle down with after my days as a pilot are over!"

_There is one waiting for You,_ said the voice, _She is one like You; a chosen Avenger and Guardian of Man. She also has dormant Divinity that hasn't awakened yet. Perhaps the presence of Your awakened Divinity will bring Hers to light._

_Why do you keep using that honorific?_ I asked, wondering at the inflection in the voice, _It sounds as though you're putting me up on a level equal to God. I'm not. I'm beneath His notice._

As the voice was about to rebuke me, I forcibly silenced it. I concentrated and drew myself inwards. I felt my wings sheathe themselves back into my body. I stood up, turned around and craned my neck to look at myself in the mirror. The only evidence that I had ever sprouted wings was two light line-scars on my back over my shoulder blades.

My telepathic senses detected a presence outside of my door. I automatically tensed, anticipating an attack. However, my senses were relaxed by a voice in my thoughts.

_Do not be concerned, Andrew, it is only me._

_Rei,_ I thought, relieved, _hang on a second, I'll come and let you in._

I realized that I was still nude; fresh out of the shower.

_Uh…better make that a minute or two,_ I thought to Rei, _I need to get some clothes on._

_I will wait._

I rushed to my dresser and yanked on some clean clothes. Then, I walked quickly to the door and let Rei in. Immediately, I felt the presence of the voice in my mind again. It was trying to tell me something again, but I ignored it.

"Are you all right?" Rei asked, once she was inside and the door was closed, "I sensed your telepathic distress."

"From all the way across town?" I asked.

"Yes," said Rei, "Your distress seemed to be quite urgent. I…feared that you were in some kind of danger. I was…concerned."

"That's sweet of you, Rei," I said, smiling reassuringly, "but I'm fine, really."

Rei cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"Your heart rate and state of emotional activity contradict your assessment of your situation," she said matter-of-factly.

"So, the only reason you came over here is because you were worried about me?" I asked, trying to change subjects. I failed; miserably.

"Have you experienced further changes in your biological makeup?" Rei asked. I decided to go for broke.

"You could say that," I admitted. Then, I peeled off my shirt. Rei looked slightly askance at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Just look," I said, turning my back to Rei. I heard her gasp quietly.

"Where did those scars come from?" she asked.

"From this," I said. I grimaced as I allowed my angel wings to burst free again. Rei almost cried out in shock this time.

"Like them?" I asked sarcastically, turning to face my shocked companion.

Rei looked very aghast at my bright, flickering wings. Her shock and semi-fright changed to awe and…mesmerization as my wingtips brushed the walls. I tried to smile to hide my embarrassment and self-revulsion.

"They are…beautiful," Rei said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"You can touch them," I said, "They're quite cool to the touch."

Rei extended her hand towards my wings. But as soon as her hand got within two feet of my wings, she pulled it back with a sharp gasp of pain. My face contorted with concern.

"Are you all right?"

"Your wings are most certainly _not_ cool to the touch," Rei said, gently waving her hand to cool it.

"They were cool when _I_ touched them," I said, "Hmm, maybe it's just that _I'm_ immune to the fire. Or maybe…oh, no—that _can't_ be it…"

"What cannot be it?" Rei asked.

"Well, please don't think I'm crazy," I said, "but I've heard a voice in my head that didn't come from anyone else but me."

"You've heard voices?" Rei asked, "Do you have a history of schizophrenia?"

"No!" I said vehemently, "This voice feels like it's…a part of me, somehow. Anyway, this voice told me that I'm some sort of Divine Avenger; a…messenger of God or some crazy shit like that. It also told me that there was someone else out there like me who had dormant Divinity within them. Maybe…maybe the only ones who can touch my wings without being burned are Divine beings…like me."

"You sound so skeptical about your theory," said Rei perceptively, "Is it difficult for you to believe that there are Divine beings in this world?"

"Do _you_ believe it, Rei?" I countered, "After all, I mean, _you're_ part…Angel…oh…"

"What is it?" Rei asked as my voice trailed off.

_It suddenly occurred to me that our conversations might be monitored,_ I said telepathically, _If we want this conversation to continue, we'd better do it quietly._

_Understood,_ said Rei.

_Now, as I was saying—_I said.

_Yes, I am part Angel,_ Rei interrupted, reading my thoughts.

_Yeah, you're part Angel!_ I thought excitedly, _That means that _you_ might be a Divine being yourself! Don't you think?_

_It is conceivable,_ Rei admitted, _But I have never shown signs of it as you are displaying right now. It is possible that I do not have the dormant potential that you speak of._

_It's possible, but I think you _are_ a Divinity,_ I said, finally starting to believe, _You and I work together so perfectly that it's scary, _and_ Shinji even said that you and I relate to each other in ways that seem too perfect to be believed! What if this is what it all _means_, Rei? What if it all means that you and I are both Divines!_

I couldn't understand why I was getting so worked up over this. I mean, until Rei showed up, _I_ didn't believe in it, either. And now, here I was trying to make _her_ believe it, too? What a hypocrite I was.

Something was different, though. Rei seemed to tense up suddenly, and then she collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain. I heard her whimper softly as I dove to her side. I scooped her up and cradled her head in my arms and tried to keep my wings as far back from her as possible. However, Rei reached out and again tried to grasp at my wings.

"I thought they were too hot?" I asked, confused.

"I need warmth," Rei whispered weakly, "I am so…cold…"

I was starting to feel scared. Rei's skin felt warm like normal, and yet here she was, telling me that she was cold and shivering. Either she was feeling some Divine power, or she was getting very, _very_ sick.

"Please…" Rei whimpered.

I gingerly pulled Rei closer into my arms and enfolded my wings around the both of us. Their cool flame encompassed my back and circled around my front, forming a cocoon around Rei. I felt Rei shudder in my arms and start to relax.

"You are…warm…" she sighed.

"What happened, Rei?" I asked, still feeling scared.

Rei didn't answer, except to shudder and jerk in my arms. She burst free of my embrace and stood in the middle of my kitchen, hunched over and spasming. Suddenly with a loud cry, I saw two wings burst from Ayanami's back, just as mine had. However, Rei's wings were nothing like mine; Rei's wings looked like crystals of ice that grew into the shape of wings.

_I…I feel…a presence in my mind,_ I heard Rei think, _Someone else is here other than me…who are you? Who _are_ you…?_

_Do you believe _now_, Rei?_ I asked, walking back over to her and gently wrapping my arms around her waist from behind. Her icy wings felt like they were freezing the skin of my bare chest. However, the more I held her, the warmer she felt. Rei turned around in my arms and faced me. There were tears running down her face.

"Tears?" I asked, concerned.

_I am…afraid…_ Rei thought to me, _This new…development…will interfere with my usefulness to the Commander._

_Your…usefulness?_ I asked, wishing she'd clarify.

_Will you…keep my confidence?_ Rei asked.

_Gladly,_ I replied instantly. After the number of times I had confided in _Rei_, it was the least I could do to return the favor.

_The Commander's plan…involves using me as a pawn to initiate the Third Impact,_ Rei said, looking deeply into my eyes, _I am cloned from the Angel, Lilith, who resides in the bowels of Terminal Dogma. Lilith is one half of the equation that would begin the Third Impact. Adam, whom the Commander possesses, is the other half. If the two of them are brought together through me, the Third Impact will begin, and all life as we know it will perish._

_That's…unbelievable!_ I thought, flabbergasted, _How can one man be so…fucking…_deranged_?!_

_He is not deranged,_ Rei retorted quietly, _He is…obsessed. He is deeply in love with his wife, and is willing to do anything to see her again._

_Love is one thing,_ I thought, _Obsession is quite another. Another thing is the fact that Yui no longer loves her husband. You heard the way she talked about him while we were looking for Shinji; she _hates_ him for what he did to her, and I gotta say, after the kind of life she's had over the last few years, she's entitled to being a little bit bitter and resentful._

Rei quietly listened to my rant, her eyelids drooping.

_Are you tired, Rei?_ I asked, assuming the obvious.

_I slept a normal period of nine hours over last night,_ said Rei sleepily, _I do not understand why I am tired._

_You told me once that you don't dream,_ I said, _I read somewhere once that dreams are what makes our sleep truly recuperative. If you really _don't_ dream, then you're not getting a fully restful night's sleep._

_You offered to help me to dream,_ said Rei, _Will you try now?_

_If you desire it, I will try to open your mind to dreams, Rei,_ I replied, _However, to do that, I will need your absolute trust and free, total access to your mind. You have my word that I will not do anything harmful or coercive while I am there with you._

_Then I grant you access to my mind,_ Rei said, _Your word is enough for me, Andrew. I have placed my trust in you before, and you have not let me down._

_Let's get you someplace comfortable to sleep, then,_ I said, taking Rei's hand and leading her back to my bedroom.

"Lie down and get comfortable, Rei," I said, speaking aloud again.

"Get comfortable?"

"Yeah," I said, "Just…do what you normally do to get ready for bed."

Rei nodded and started to unbutton her blouse. I sputtered and quickly turned around. I sensed Rei smiling.

"Did you want me to…leave or something while you get ready?" I asked awkwardly, staring resolutely at my wall.

"No," Rei answered evenly, "In fact you may look at me, if you wish."

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" I asked, "I mean…"

"Your modesty is flattering," said Rei, "But I feel no embarrassment over being in the nude around you, or anyone else."

Rei grabbed my arm and spun me around. Reflexively, my eyes closed. However, I felt Rei's soft hand on my face, and just couldn't help myself. Against every decent instinct in my body, I opened my eyes.

Rei's body was absolutely _perfect_; to say the _very_ least! Her breasts were magnificently well-formed and perky. Her belly was flat and sculpted. And her _skin_! Oh, her skin…! It was pale as milk and looked to be silky smooth to the touch. I didn't dare let my eyes wander any lower as desire and lust rose unbidden and ran rampant through my mind.

"Your thoughts are…very graphic right now," Rei observed, blushing lightly.

"I'm sorry," I said automatically, unable to tear my eyes away from Rei's breasts. Finally, though, I brought my own hand up and smacked myself on the face. Rei giggled at my clownish antics. I flushed so red that I was probably almost _purple_ in the face. Still my thoughts were pervaded with images of me squeezing and groping those soft-looking mounds and running my tongue over each hard nipple…

I slapped myself in the face again; harder this time. I forced myself to focus on the task at hand: Unlocking Rei's mind to the reality of dreams. Perhaps through dreams, she might become more in touch with her inner Divinity.

**A.N.: Whew! Some hot shots right there, readers (you knew it had to happen sooner or later). I know that I said that it might be inconsistent between updates, and it will be soon. Currently, I've been writing almost frantically (I want to get as much done as I can while I still have time to do it). As always, reviews are gratefully accepted. May the muse continue to sing in your ears!**

**Andrew Hildreth**


	12. The Dreams and The Date

Chapter 12

I had to actually grit my teeth to maintain my concentration and keep it away from thoughts of Rei's naked flesh. I cursed my hormones for making me so easily distracted.

_Think, you horny bastard, _think_!_ I growled at myself, _You've got a _job_ to do!_

"Rei, lie back and relax," I said, "And please…cover up?"

"Very well," said Rei, pulling a sheet up over her body and lounging back into my pillows.

"Now," I said, "I'm going to telepathically stimulate your brain in order to induce sleep. Once you're asleep, I'm going to enter your consciousness and look into your _sub_consciousness and try to ascertain exactly why you're unable to dream. Once I figure _that_ out, if I indeed _can_, I'll try to think of some way that I can enable you to have dreams."

"Very well," Rei said again, closing her eyes.

"You really _do_ have a lot of faith in me, don't you?" I asked, impressed and flattered at her display of trust.

"Yes," said Rei, opening her eyes again, "I do. May I say something?"

"You've just _said_ something," I joked, "but yes, by all means, say something else. I can never hear enough of your voice."

Rei smiled and blushed softly.

"You have a…unique quality," Rei said, hesitating as she searched for the proper adjective, "The way you make me feel is…different; unlike anything I have ever felt before."

"I take that as a sincere compliment, Rei," I replied, "Now, close your eyes and relax. We're about to begin."

Rei closed her eyes and started to breathe deeply. I reached out and entered her mind, touching only on the physical level of her brain. In her brain, I stimulated a certain area and induced delta waves into her cerebral cortex. This action caused her to fall into a deep sleep.

Once Rei was asleep, I withdrew temporarily to see her asleep. I have a weakness for watching beautiful women sleep. It just fills me with a wonderful sense of calm. Seeing Rei so totally relaxed made her look like a completely different girl. She was indescribably beautiful, just the way she was. I permitted myself a moment to gaze at her. Then, I entered her mind, this time delving deeper; into her consciousness.

I found myself standing on a dark plane. Unlike the Astral Plane's formlessness, this one was just emptiness; void of anything except the concerns of the moment. And since Rei was asleep, she _had_ no concerns at the moment, so the space was empty. I admired and pitied this simplicity of thought. As I delved deeper, into her memories, I discovered that for most of her life, Rei had been effectively brainwashed by Commander Ikari and Dr. Akagi; turned from a human being into a living, breathing automaton.

Disgusted, I turned to Rei's subconscious mind. Here, I hoped to find what was hidden in her soul and reveal it to her in the forms of wondrous dreams. When I reached her innermost thoughts, however, I was greeted by a swirling void. After I recovered from the shock of almost being swallowed by it, I realized that Rei had _no soul_!

_What happened to her soul?!_ I wondered frantically, _Every living person is supposed to have _some_ manner of soul. Where _is_ it?_

Then I realized something:

_Rei seems most at home when she's piloting her Eva,_ I thought, _Perhaps…perhaps that means that _her_ soul, like that of Shinji's mother's, was _trapped_ within the Eva. _That's_ why Rei feels so compelled to pilot: she longs for her soul, and being within the Eva is the only way she can contact it! Ikari, you bastard…I'll make you _suffer_ for this… This…_atrocity_!_

_Now do You see why You are needed?_

_It's you again,_ I replied, sensing the voice, _I didn't know you could follow me to another person's mind._

_I am not the voice of Your Divinity, young Avenger,_ said the voice, _I am the voice Her Divinity. She can barely hear my call, but She has felt my presence._

_You use the same honorific for Rei that _my_ inner voice does for _me_,_ I observed.

_Why should I not?_ the voice asked, _She is, after all, a Divine. You think that of Her too, albeit a more Mortal definition of "divine"._

_It's true that Rei possesses a certain…grace,_ I said delicately.

_She does, indeed,_ the voice agreed, _However, as You have just discovered, She does _not_ possess a soul, currently._

_What can I do?_ I asked, _Her soul is trapped inside the Evangelion. Without her soul, she can't dream._

_Without Her soul, the Guardian is unable to fully accept Her Divinity,_ the voice added seriously.

_A Guardian? Rei?_ I asked, then I paused, _Wait a minute. You call Rei a Guardian, you and _my_ inner voice _both_ referred to me as an Avenger._

_They are Your stations,_ said the Guardian's voice, _You are always in a pair; Guardian and Avenger. The Guardian identifies the offenders and the Avenger punishes them._

_Rei and I have already marked our first target,_ I said.

_The one called Gendo Ikari,_ said the Guardian.

_He's the one._

_I wish You good fortune in Your quest, Avenger,_ said the Guardian, _Though You carry a great burden, it is not an overwhelming one. Carry it well._

_Rei needs to dream,_ I said, changing the subject, _It's not just a matter that she _wants_ to dream, she _needs_ to. She can't properly rest until she starts to dream._

_Until Her soul is reunited with Her body, there is very little that I can do,_ said the Guardian, _I will endeavor to give Her dreams by functioning as a sort of soul for Her. However, limited as I am without Her _true_ soul to enable me, Her wings will be the only gift of Her Divinity that She will have at this time. I only have the power to do one thing at a time for Her._

_Dreams are what she needs now,_ I said, _Thank you, Guardian. Your aid will be invaluable._

_What dreams shall I give Her first?_

_Look into her memories and extrapolate on them,_ I suggested, _Certainly not all of her memories will evoke _pleasant_ dreams, but not all dreams _are_ be pleasant, are they?_

_Certainly not,_ the Guardian agreed.

_I'll leave Rei's dreams in your hands then, Guardian._

_You may rely on me, Avenger,_ said the Guardian's voice.

I withdrew from Rei's mind and found myself staring down at her sleeping form. I sat there and watched her for nearly three hours as she slept and dreamed. Occasionally, I would enter her thoughts as an observer and watch what she was dreaming. One of the dreams that I happened to watch involved Rei and I strolling hand-in-hand through the city and stopping at an outdoor café. While we were waiting for our waiter to return with our orders, we happened to look up and see the sun setting. Our faces crept closer together, silhouetted in the red orb's light. I smiled mentally and withdrew, allowing Rei the privacy to enjoy her fantasy.

At about four o'clock, Rei's eyes fluttered and opened. She yawned, stretched, and sat up in my bed. Doing this of course made the sheet that she had covered herself with fall away. Once again, I found myself unable to stop staring at her bare chest as she smiled serenely at me. I quickly decided that discretion was the better part of valor and left the room. A short time later, I heard Rei think to me:

_May I use your shower?_

_Sure, Rei,_ I replied, _Hang on and I'll get you a towel._

_Thank you,_ Rei said.

I walked back the hallway to the linen closet and pulled out a large towel. I turned around to see Rei walking across the hall; in nothing but a pair of white panties carrying her clothes.

_Oops,_ I thought.

_I meant for you to see me,_ I heard Rei reply, _I timed it deliberately._

_Why?_ I asked, completely flabbergasted at Rei's sudden slyness.

_I thought you might enjoy the view,_ she replied, winking mentally at me.

I closed my mind in order to think privately.

_What is up with _Rei_? _I wondered, _Three hours ago, she was completely doll-like and dull-spirited, and now she's some kind of _vixen_? What the _hell_?! Normally, I wouldn't object to a girl showing off a little bit of flesh, but in this case, it's making me a little queasy because I know that she wouldn't normally _act_ this…_loose_. I wonder…is this the _Guardian's_ influence, since she's now posing as Rei's soul? That must be it._

_You have sensed Her, then, Avenger?_

_Oh. It's you again,_ I thought in response to my inner voice's remark.

_You left Your own mind in order to make contact with Hers,_ the voice said, _You must use caution in exercising Your powers, young Avenger. Overuse of Your Divine powers will attract the attention of other Divines. Be forewarned that not all Divine beings fight for the side of Good. As a half-breed between the two races, Angel and Mortal, you have assumed a new species title: You are a Seraph, a higher level of Angel. You may freely assume Your Mortal form any time You choose. Beware of the Fallen._

_The Fallen?_

_The Fallen are exactly what their name implies,_ said the Avenger, _They are Angels or Seraphs who have fallen from the Light. Many of them now wander the earth, searching for a way to return to Heaven. The Creator will never allow them back, but they still attempt it._

_And what should I do if I meet a Fallen?_ I asked.

_Either kill it, or prepare to die,_ the Avenger replied, _Because it is another of Your sacred duties as an Avenger to eliminate these rogue elements. Do not flag in Your faith, or You will surely fall, as have so many other Avengers. It is a danger of Your station that You will be tempted to use Your power for ill._

_I have already been tested,_ I said, remembering the guard at the Eva cage, _and I found that I dislike using my powers for personal gain._

_You have been tested in one fashion, Avenger,_ said the voice, _There will be many others before Your Divinity has been fully revealed. There is, however, one thing You must always remember, Avenger._

_What is that?_

_Protect Your Guardian at all costs,_ said the voice, _If She falls, so shall You._

_I'll remember that._

I re-opened my mind to the rapport I shared with Rei and found her sighing with pleasure under the warm water of my shower. She practically _purred_ with contentment as she let her hands roam and slide over every inch of her smooth, pale skin. I felt my male parts reacting to those images and quickly closed off about my body to hide it. I wished that there was a second shower in the apartment, because at that particular instant, I needed a very, very _cold_ one.

_Andrew_, Rei said telepathically, _I am almost done in the shower. Could you bring me my towel, please?_

_You aren't going to try and flash me again or drag me into the shower with you, are you?_ I asked, half teasing and half deadly-serious.

_Only if you wish to join me,_ Rei replied seriously.

_Rei, may I access your mind again briefly, please?_

_Certainly, Andrew,_ she answered.

I reached into Rei's mind, intent on contacting her Guardian voice and having a little chat with it. Once I was back within Rei's subconscious mind, I called out:

_Guardian! Answer me, please!_

_Is there a problem, Avenger?_ the voice replied calmly.

_Is there a _problem_?!_ I demanded, disbelieving, _You mean that you don't know what you're making Rei _do_?!_

_What is She doing?_ the Guardian asked innocently.

_Well, let's see,_ I started sarcastically, _she's walking around my house practically naked, she's showing herself off to me shamelessly, and she's practically _inviting_ me to get in the shower with her!_

_And that is a problem?_ the Guardian asked, not understanding why I was getting so worked up, _Is it not natural for a man and a woman to be together?_

_We aren't married yet!_ I snapped.

_But You do desire to be with Her, do You not?_ the Guardian asked.

_That's beside the point!_ I shouted mentally, _The point is, you're making her behave _way _out of character! If she acts this out of character around people who _know_ her better than _me_, your presence will be discovered, and our _target_ will be _alerted_!_

_My sincerest apologies, Avenger,_ said the Guardian, genuine regret in her voice, _I had no idea that She was acting so radically different. I am trying to instill a socially acceptable level of "normal" behavior in Her subconscious. However, society seems to have changed since my last incarnation in the Mortal Plane._

_When were you last incarnated?_ I asked.

_I do not know the year that Mortals would have designated it._

_What can you remember from your last incarnation?_ I asked, trying to gather clues, _What figures were you and the Avenger called to eliminate? What country were you incarnated in? What kind of society did your bodies live in?_

_We lived in a barbaric society that existed under the looming threat of a great empire. I…believe that we were incarnated in the region known as…Gaul,_ said the Guardian, sounding as though she was thinking hard.

_Gaul?!_ I gasped mentally, _There hasn't been anywhere called "Gaul" since…since the _Roman_ Empire ruled the known world!_

_How long ago was that by Mortal ages?_

_At least two thousand years,_ I said, _There hasn't been an Avenger since _then_?_

_There have been many Avengers and Guardians,_ said the Guardian, _There is one pair incarnated every generation. However, if the candidates die or refuse their gifts, the choice goes unmade until the next generation._

_What if an Avenger falls?_ I asked.

_Then the Fallen One roams the earth until it is dispatched by an Avenger,_ answered the Guardian, _The balance is restored, and the cycle continues. Now, please. My body has completed Her bathing, and wishes to dry off. I will endeavor to return Her to Her original state of being, but I would like to begin adding new states of "normal" to her being._

_If you insist on doing so, Guardian, please do so only when Rei and I are alone together,_ I requested firmly.

_That will do,_ the Guardian assented, _Thank you, Avenger._

I withdrew from Rei's mind and cracked the bathroom door open. I reached through with one arm to hand Rei her towel. I heard a voice muffled through the door:

"Thank you."

Rei was back to the way she was when she first arrived at my apartment. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Ikari wouldn't be alerted until it was too late for him to escape. No, there was no "maybe" about it; he _wouldn't_ escape until it was too late. I promised myself that.

Rei emerged a short time later from the bathroom, dressed in her plain, green skirt and white blouse. They were the only clothes that I had ever seen her in, apart from her plug suit. I wondered if she even _owned_ any other clothes. Perhaps I'd have to entice Rei into going shopping, much as I _loathed_ shopping; especially for _clothes_! I only ever went clothes shopping when I absolutely _had_ to, and then, it was a case of "hunt shirt, kill shirt, take shirt home"; I went in, got what I wanted, and left. No window shopping, do not pass "go" do not collect $200. No, just get what I came to get, and then leave; that's all. That's the way I've always shopped. However, for Rei, I would suffer through it, if she indeed _wanted_ to try on some new clothes.

"I am ready to leave," said Rei, snapping me out of my memory trance.

"Right, okay," I said, getting my bearings back, "So…Is there any place you're interested in going?"

"I have never been on a date before," said Rei, "I do not know what most couples do when they go out."

"Well, it's been a while since _I_ was last out," I admitted, "so…how about we just go for a walk around the city and see where we end up?"

"That would be acceptable…Andrew."

"Let's go, then," I said happily. Finally, the date was getting under way!

Rei and I walked together for about ten minutes before she asked:

"Andrew, should you and I be holding hands?"

"What do you mean, Rei?" I asked.

"If we are out on a date, should we not be holding hands as we walk?" Rei asked, sounding confused, "Or am I mistaken about what is normally associated with a date?"

"You're not mistaken," I reassured her.

"Then would you like to hold my hand?" Rei asked, "Because…it sounds…appealing to me."

I smiled gently and took Rei's hand in mine. I again marveled at how soft her skin was. Rei's fingers intertwined with mine and gripped me tightly, as though afraid she would lose contact with me. We walked on for another few minutes, turning at random streets and wandering aimlessly through the city.

After nearly an hour of wandering, Rei and I passed through a more back-water section of the city. Along this strip were a large collection of clubs, strip joints, bars, and assorted dives. Rei seemed interested in all of the music and noise that poured out of the open doors of the establishments. As we walked past a club called the "Metal Pit", we heard a loud riff of distorted electric guitar play. Rei's ears immediately perked up and we stopped to listen. I recognized the song almost instantly; it was a number by one of my favorite groups: a multi-national speed-metal group known as Dragonforce. They had been one of the few pre-Second Impact bands to actually survive the chaos and make it back into the spotlight.

I began humming along with the song. Rei looked at me, an amused stare on her face. She started to lead me towards the door, but I hesitated.

"Is something wrong?" Rei asked.

"We have to be 18 to get in there," I said, pointing to a sign on the door, "It's because they serve alcohol here."

Rei produced her NERV I.D. and told me to dig mine out, as well. Once we both had our I.D.'s out and in our hands, Rei led me through the doors and right past the bouncer. I looked at her as she continued to lead me with surprising speed to a table setting about fifty feet away from the stage.

"Rei!" I shouted over the din, "How did we just walk right past the bouncer?! Isn't he supposed to I.D. us?!"

_It is because we are NERV personnel,_ Rei replied telepathically, _NERV has access to any place at any time, no questions asked._

_That's awesome,_ I said, laughing excitedly.

The song ended. The crowd of assembled metal-heads cheered and roared and moshed. The lead singer, ZP Theart, picked his mic up and shouted:

"Are all you fuckers enjoying the show!?!"

The crowd roared louder in response.

"All right!" ZP shouted into his mic, "Well every one of you sick mother fuckers grab yourselves a hot chick and hold her tight!"

The keyboardist started into a relatively gentle piano ballad. I recognized it as a song titled "Dawn Over a New World." ZP started to sing:

"_In the darkness of the night, in the shadows of the dawn…_

"_It's turning black, no looking back. The sands of time are sown._

"_When the day will slowly end, and the sun has turned to gray…_

"_Will we feel the power of freedom with the dawn of a new day? Whoa…"_

The guitars joined in, taking over the melody. However, unlike what you might expect, they didn't start into any speed riffs or stuff suitable for head-banging. No, they played simple power-chords that just struck you right in your heart and made you catch your breath. Rei and I were sitting there, enjoying the music when a very shaggy-looking young man came over to the table where Rei and I were sitting and shouted over the music:

"Come on, baby, let's dance!"

"I beg your pardon," Rei replied, "but I am here with someone."

"_He's_ not dancing with you," said the punk, pointing at me, "Come on, one dance!"

"I must respectfully refuse," Rei said coolly.

"Aw, come _on_!" the punk pleaded, still trying to change her mind.

My patience with his antics and whining ran out.

"Hey buddy," I said loudly, standing up and facing him down. As soon as I stood up, the youth cringed. He was at least six inches shorter than me, and possibly about fifty pounds lighter. Of course, at 220 pounds, I'm no feather-weight.

"The lady said 'no'," I said, standing up to my full six-foot-five-inch height and looking down at him menacingly, "Do you have problems understanding the word? Should I enlighten you?"

"No! No, man, it's cool!" the young man said quickly, clearly terrified as I cracked my knuckles threateningly, "I wasn't trying to cause no trouble or nothin'!"

And like the rat he reminded me of, the skinny youth scurried away through the crowded room. I sat back down, feeling very proud of myself. Rei looked at me, vague disapproval in her stare.

_Was that behavior really necessary or justified?_ she asked, _You could have simply and politely asked him to leave._

_It doesn't work that way with these people, Rei,_ I said, shaking my head, _You've got to treat them like animals and prove that _you're_ the bigger, badder, and meaner animal. True, I didn't expect him to fold so easily, but I'm not going to argue about it. I really don't feel like fighting tonight. Rei, would you like to dance?_

I'm not sure what compelled me to add the last question, but I'm glad I did. Rei paused for a moment, unsure whether to continue our argument about metal-head psychology or accept my invitation. My hazel eyes and Rei's crimson orbs locked for an eternal moment…

_Certainly. That would be…nice._

I stood back up and proffered my hand to Rei. She smiled, took my hand, and stood up and walked with me to the area of the floor where there were several couples dancing. Rei's arms entwined around my neck and mine wrapped around her waist. My eyes closed with calm satisfaction as we circled around each other and I listened to the words that were being sung.

"_We can go on forever, with the darkness so far away…_

"_And the warriors who live forever, fight on to the end…_

"_Across the highest mountains, and through the endless seas,_

"_Our journey ever onward, fight until the end!_

There was a key change that made my breath catch in my throat, it was so moving.

"_Across the highest mountains, and through the endless seas,_

"_Our journey ever onward fight until we all live free._

"_Through the darkness shining a never ending light,_

"_On through the days of glory, rise towards the fight…_

"_And one day we will find a way towards this distant Golden Age,_

"_The cries of war will sound the day. We stand before the dawn of a new world…"_

With a final, resonating chord, the song ended. I opened my eyes to find Rei looking up at me. I smiled down at her, feeling such contentment as I had never felt before in my entire life. With Rei, I was certain, lay my path to true and lasting happiness. Ever so softly, Rei's face broke into a smile that matched my emotions of the moment. I wished that the moment would last forever, but the music started back up, this time a much faster and heavier number. I pulled Rei to one side as a mosh-pit started up in front of the stage.

_May we leave now, please?_ Rei asked, _This was most enjoyable, but it is becoming more crowded with people of questionable ethics._

Realizing this very thing, I readily agreed and we headed for the door. Once the two of us were back out on the sidewalk, I noticed how badly my ears were ringing.

_Boy,_ I thought to Rei, _It's a good thing we can communicate telepathically._

_Why is that?_ Rei asked.

_Because my ears are ringing so badly right now that I'm not sure I'd be able to hear a word you'd say,_ I replied, laughing a little. It was all true, though. The very fact that my ears were prone to ringing was the primary reason that I stayed out of most of the clubs and music bars; they just got too loud for me to handle.

_Where will we go next?_ Rei asked.

_I was just going to ask you the same question,_ I replied, _I'll let _you_ decide._

_Are you certain that you do not wish to make a choice?_ Rei asked, _After all, it was I who led the way into the last place we visited._

_Yeah, but it's good for you to learn to make decisions, not just follow orders,_ I responded, _You've had very little say in your own life for so long._

_I am…beginning to feel hungry,_ Rei said, _Perhaps we could find a place to have dinner._

_Sounds like a plan to me,_ I agreed. So did my stomach. At the mention of food, it gave a very loud and noticeable rumble. Rei giggled quietly. My stomach stopped grumbling and did a back flip that kicked my heart right up into my throat. I don't know what it was about her laughter that did that to me. Maybe it was the fact that it was such a quiet, innocent, and enjoyable sound; not like the harsh and grating laughter that I had heard Asuka give to Shinji on a few occasions.

Rei and I walked around the block to a small Japanese restaurant. We walked in and Rei asked me what I wanted.

"Why can't I order it myself?" I asked.

"This establishment does not speak English," Rei replied, "Unless you speak Japanese, you will not be able to order."

"_Go-chuumon wa o-kimari desu ka_? (Are you ready to order?)" the waiter asked, walking over to our table.

"_Kono ryouri wo kudasai_ (I'll have this, please)," I said, pointing at the beef bowl on the menu.

Rei's eyes widened slightly with shock as I spoke. The waiter turned to her for her order.

"Um… _o-cha zuke wo kudasai_ (I'll have ochazuke)," said Rei, stumbling slightly in her thoughts.

_You never told me that you spoke Japanese_, she said telepathically. I chuckled at her shock and confusion.

_I didn't think I'd _have_ to,_ I replied, _After all, when we first _met_, you seemed to be very familiar with my background already. I assumed that you'd _know_ that I had learned enough Japanese to get by when I came over here._

_I clearly had forgotten that,_ said Rei, embarrassed.

"So," I said, trying to start conversation, "what did you think of Dragonforce?"

"Of…what?"

"Dragonforce," I said, "The band that was playing in that heavy metal bar just now."

"Oh," said Rei, "They were…colorful."

"Colorful?" I repeated, "How do you mean that?"

"Their language usage was quite…explicit," said Rei.

"Oh…you're talking about the lead singer's use of the F-word," I said, finally understanding, "Yeah, he does have a pretty foul mouth when he's on stage, but I'm told he's a pretty nice guy when he's not doing a show. That's all it really is, you know; a show. He just puts on that personality like a costume for the duration of their act and then he's done. A lot of performers do that."

"How do you know so much about performers?" Rei asked.

"Are you interrogating me, Rei?" I teased.

"No," said Rei, "I am merely trying to continue our conversation."

"I know," I said, "Well, I know a lot about performers because I used to _be_ one back in the States. A couple of my friends and I had a rock and roll band that I sang for. Dragonforce was my inspiration for forming our group. We called ourselves 'Star Sword'. Anyway, when we did a gig or larger concert opener, I would always come out on stage with a large amount of attitude and swagger. It was sort of my trademark because, before our very first performance, I was feeling like an asshole and walked out on stage with a great, big, 'I'm-the-baddest-son-of-a-bitch-around' attitude. Unfortunately, that stage persona was a smash hit with the audience and I got stuck with it. So, every show that we did, I had to walk out on that stage and be the asshole."

"And of course, you are not, normally," Rei added.

"As you've found out," I agreed.

"Yes."

We shared a chuckle. Then, Rei looked me in the eyes.

"Andrew," she said, "When I used your shower today, there were some shards of porcelain tile on the floor of the tub and there several tiles missing from the wall. What happened?"

"Nothing," I said aloud. Rei quirked an eyebrow at me and seemed about to say something.

_Not aloud!_ I cautioned, _Yes, I just told a bald-faced lie, but it was for the benefit of any Section-2 geeks who might be tailing us around. They don't know that we can communicate telepathically. What _really_ happened was the probably the reason you sensed my telepathic distress. It was during that shower that my new Divine powers started to manifest and I first heard that voice in my head. It scared me, so I lashed out in my mind. The tiles exploded; I don't know why. I almost got hit in the eye with one of the shards, but some kind of AT Field stopped it from hitting me._

_There were no alerts about any AT Fields being detected,_ said Rei, _A call would have gone out to all of the pilots about a possible enemy attack. No such calls were made, therefore I must conclude that what stopped the shrapnel from striking you was not an AT Field._

_Well, whatever it was, it _acted_ like an AT Field,_ I said, _It stopped the piece from damaging my eye. Anyway, while you were sleeping, I got up and cleaned the shower up as best I could. By the way, did you have any interesting dreams?_

I knew about part of one of her dreams, but I wanted her to come out and learn to talk about her dreams.

_Yes,_ Rei replied, _One of them even concerned our date._

_Did anything interesting happen?_

Rei blushed.

**A.N.: Whew! A little bit longer chapter there, faithful readers! I must give a HUGE thank you out to all of the "how to speak Japanese" websites out there! You all saved my story and made it interesting to write! **_**Domo Arigatou!**_** For those of you who might not understand the language, that means "thank you very much!" And yes, the Japanese in this chapter is, indeed, authentic (as near as I can tell, anyway). And to all those of you who are thinking "Rei would never go into a heavy metal club!", I say "Phooey on you! Dragonforce is more melodic than mere metal. Listen to it before you make any judgments!" I updated this chapter because I did some research on brainwaves and found out that I had used the wrong Greek letter. Anyways, ignore my ranting and raving and please leave me a review!**


	13. The Sixteenth and the Sixth

Chapter 13

Rei and I finished our meals and went to pay the check. I would have gladly paid for the whole thing, but Rei insisted on contributing. So, I paid for the meal and Rei left the tip. That solution satisfied the both of us. Though Rei and I had spent nearly an hour in the restaurant, it was still only a little after six o'clock; too early for me to allow our evening to come to such an abrupt end. However, all thoughts of continuing our date were removed from my mind when I sensed evil approaching.

_Rei,_ I said, _An Angel is coming._

_I do not sense it,_ Rei responded, _Are you certain?_

_My telepathic senses can reach farther away than your empathic senses,_ I explained, _Just wait another minute, you'll sense it._

I didn't wait for her to find it, however. I started walking rapidly towards the station for the emergency NERV train. As Rei tried to reach out with her senses, she allowed me to pull her along so that she could keep up. I started running, panic of not being able to reach HQ in time spurring me forward. Rei stumbled and almost fell as I tugged her along faster than she could keep up. Without thinking, I turned around, caught her, scooped her up into my arms and continued to run.

_You do not have to carry me,_ Rei thought to me, giving off waves of embarrassment, _I was just taken by surprise by your sudden sprint._

_It's easier if I carry you for right now, Rei,_ I replied hurriedly, _I would have to stop running to set you down, and we can't afford the delay. Incidentally, you should be sensing the Angel right…about…now._

Rei suddenly stiffened with pain as her empathic senses detected the Angel's malevolence. Her arms tightened around my shoulders to prevent herself from losing her balance. I huffed a heavy breath to steady myself and picked up my pace, running as hard as I could to get to NERV quickly. It was hardly a chore to run while carrying Rei. She was supernaturally light. It made me wonder whether either _my_ strength had been augmented by _my_ Divinity, or she could alter _her_ mass because of _her_ Divinity, or if maybe it was a combination of _both_ of those reasons. Whatever it was, it made running a much easier chore.

Rei and I reached the emergency train in a few minutes and jumped into the car. As soon as we were inside, my cell phone rang. Sensing who it was, I picked up and answered:

"We're on our way in now, Misato."

"What? How did--? Never mind. Get here as fast as you can," said Misato, then she hung up.

"You can set me down now," Rei said quietly. I suddenly realized that I was, indeed still holding her in my arms. I lowered her down to the floor, but kept my arms wrapped around her waist.

"I do not…require aid in standing…Andrew," Rei said, her voice a slow whisper.

"I had a really good time with you today, Rei," I said, my voice just as quiet as hers. My eyes locked with hers as I continued, "I just wanted you to know that…if we're supposed to go out, fight, and…possibly _die_ today."

"You are…trying to seduce me," Rei accused gently.

"Is it working?" I asked, quirking my eyebrow in what I hoped was a dashing way.

"I think…perhaps it is," Rei replied weakly, "I feel like…I want you to kiss me…"

"Have you ever been kissed before?"

"No," Rei answered me, "and I have never…_felt_ anything like what I am feeling now…"

"Show me how you feel, Rei," I whispered, bringing my face down to hers.

Our faces crept closer together until our lips were less than an inch from each other. I could feel her soft breath on my nose. Suddenly, however, the train doors opened at NERV Central. Rei broke away and walked quickly out of the train doors, instantly all-business. While I admired this commitment to her duties as a pilot, I couldn't help but be a little bit annoyed at her sense of timing. We were just about to _kiss_ for God's sake!

_Ah well, no use crying over spilled LCL,_ I mused. Then, I took off running after her. We arrived at the Eva cages a few minutes later, having hastily changed into our plug suits. Shinji arrived shortly after we did, his face very grim.

"What happened?" I asked, not bothering to read his mind.

"Well, I asked Asuka out like you suggested," Shinji said.

"And she said no?" I asked.

"I don't think she got the chance to," said Shinji, "She was so shocked by my asking that she tripped and fell down the stairs and broke her right leg."

"Oh, my god," I groaned, "So, that means…"

"We're short one pilot, and will be for a few weeks," said Misato walking in, "That being said: Shinji, the Commander has ordered that Unit-01 be kept on stand-by in the hanger bay."

"WHY?!" Shinji demanded loudly, "What the hell's so damned important about it that he won't risk it in combat anymore?! He didn't _used_ to have any problems about ordering me to my _death_!"

"Shinji, just…follow orders, okay?" Misato asked, exasperatedly pinching the bridge of her nose, "For me? Please?"

"I don't have to _like_ it, but all right, Misato. For you," Shinji agreed reluctantly.

_Ikari seems most perturbed with the Commander's orders,_ Rei observed.

_He does, indeed,_ I replied, _Honestly, _I_ would be, too. Shinji's a fighter, now. He isn't one to sit idly by while others are risking their lives fighting the fight that he was picked to fight._

"Andrew!" Misato barked, "Pay attention! I was just saying that it's up to you and Rei to hold this Angel off and destroy it. I want the two of you to deploy _immediately_ and take it out. It's holding position and seems to be almost dormant right now. It's field pattern is cycling from Blue to Orange. Hit it first and take it down quickly. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" we replied in unison.

Rei and I took off for our Evas and boarded the entry plugs.

_Rei,_ I thought to her, _Please be careful. If you could sense what _I _can about this Angel…_

_I will be fine,_ said Rei calmly, _Trust me._

I shook my head. Rei's confidence would make her blind to the danger. Rei couldn't sense what I could about this Angel.

Its name was Armisael. It had the power to pierce through AT Fields as easily as the Lance of Longinus. If Rei relied on just her Field to protect her, the Angel would penetrate her armor and start to merge with her. If her mind or Eva became contaminated, she would be destroyed.

I quickly deployed first and drew Armisael's attention. The Angel's shape changed from a halo-shaped double-helix to a single, snake-like shaft of light and it slithered through the air towards me. I deployed my Eva's AT Field as a token gesture, fully expecting my opponent to break right through it. I was waiting, my personal field invisibly covering my Eva like an extra layer of armor.

As Armisael burst through my AT Field, I heard the technicians all shouting frantically as I grabbed the Angel and held it at bay. I could feel it wriggling like a monstrous worm in my hands. It was disgusting. Rei came running to my aid; close enough to attract attention.

_Rei, no!_ I shouted mentally.

Too late. Armisael pulled free from my grasp and forced its way through Rei's AT Field, just like it had done with mine. However, _un_like me, Rei didn't have a personal protection field. The development of her Divine powers had stalled when her Guardian spirit began its role as her soul. Armisael started to merge itself into Unit-00.

I heard Rei gasping and grimacing in pain over our comm. line. My heart felt like it stopped beating as I listened to her cry softly. My heart almost stopped beating for _real_ when I heard her mental screams and pleas in my head.

_I do not want to become one with you!_ Rei whimpered to the Angel, _I am me, not you! No!_

_Rei! Pull back! Get away from here!_ I shouted desperately.

_I cannot,_ said Rei, _If I retreat now, you will be in danger, Andrew. I cannot—_will_ not—allow that._

_Rei, I can _protect_ myself!_ I pleaded, tears starting to sting and burn in my eyes, _Don't _do_ this! You can't hold it off!_

_Then I must destroy it,_ Rei said conclusively,_ You know what I must do now, Andrew. Please do not try to deter me. I must do it._

I sensed Rei's intentions. She would invert her AT Field and trap the Angel within Unit-00. Then, while the AT Field was active, she would detonate the Eva, destroying the Angel with it. The only problem with that strategy was that, in order for the AT Field to be maintained, Rei would have to stay _in_ the Eva right up until the moment of detonation, leaving her no time at all to eject and get to safety. She would almost certainly die.

_Rei, I can't let you _do_ this!_

_We have no alternative,_ said Rei, inverting her AT Field, _You were right, Andrew. We do face death today. I must now face mine. Please, free the soul from my Eva before I destroy it. This is my final request. Please, save the soul of my Evangelion from destruction._

_I don't know how_, I said, tears starting to fall down my face, _Rei, you don't have to die! _Please_, don't do this! Rei, I…_

_You do not have to say anything, Andrew,_ said Rei fondly.

_I _do_ have to say it!_ I shouted frantically,_ I don't want you to die, Rei Ayanami! I love you!_

But Rei had already started the self-destruct sequence on her Eva. Panic- and grief-stricken, I reached into the mind of Unit-00 and extracted Rei's soul, pulling it down into myself and holding onto it for dear life. I cried. Then, I had a thought. I reached into _Rei's_ mind and pulled out her Guardian spirit and all of her other memories and essences; I made a copy of her mind and spirit within myself.

Rei came up over our video comm. line. There were tears running down _her_ face, as well: tears of pain. However, she smiled at me gently and spoke to me in a brave and reassuring voice:

_I would have liked to have felt your kiss, Andrew…I love you…_

Unit-00 detonated with tremendous force. My heart skipped out on me and I must have blacked out temporarily. My eyes came back into focus as I stared at a fiery crater. There was no sign of Unit-00. I scanned for thoughts among the destruction; I found none. The Angel was gone, but so was Rei. My heart broke into shards small enough to pass through the eye of a needle.

"REI!!" I cried helplessly. My Eva roared.

_Your Guardian's body is gone, Avenger,_ said the voice in my head, _What will You do now?_

_I am really, _REALLY_ not in the mood for any of your cryptic _garbage_ right now!_ I snarled back, _Do you have _ANY_ idea what's just happened?!_

_The one You call Rei Ayanami just sacrificed Her life to save humanity,_ said the Avenger's voice, _Her sacrifice must not be in vain. Fulfill Your duty; avenge Her._

_Vengeance is not what she would have wanted,_ I said resolutely, _Vengeance is _never_ the answer! Justice _shall _be exacted, but first I must get her back._

_Without a Mortal body, Her spirit cannot be returned,_ said the Avenger.

_My target, the one called Gendo Ikari,_ I said, _He has a vast storage room filled with empty vessels that are all clones of Rei. When he awakens one of the clones, and he _will_, I will implant within her the spirit, memories, and powers of the Rei that I love, my Guardian and partner. I will also return to her the soul that Ikari and Akagi stole from her when they created her. With her soul returned, Rei's Divine powers will fully develop, won't they?_

_That is correct,_ said the Avenger.

_Then…that's my hope,_ I said frantically, _That's…that's my reason to continue existing right now. I can feel Rei's soul within me now. It's such a beautiful soul; just like the beautiful girl it belongs to. She has aptitudes for painting and singing, as well as skills on the violin. Her favorite color is green. Oh, God…it's too painful to keep looking…but I can't make myself look away from her._

"Andrew, withdraw and return to base," Misato ordered, her voice as dull as my mind felt.

_Now, is that any way to feel right now?_

_Who are _you_?!_ I demanded, searching for the source of the newest voice in my head. I feared that I was losing my mind, hearing as many voices as I currently was.

_I know it's been a while, bud, but you can't tell me that you've forgotten me already._

_Lee?!_ I gasped, _Is that really you?! I thought I'd been feeling you in here with me, but now… Why haven't you tried to talk to me before now?_

_I haven't had the energy,_ Lee replied, _Up until now, these damn restraints have kept me so weak._

_I…I thought…they…told me you were _dead_,_ I said, still not convinced that I was actually speaking with my brother.

_No, I'm not dead,_ my brother said, _despite how that might _disappoint_ you, little brother._

_Disappoint? Hell no!_ I said excitedly, _I just…it's been hard without you. Mom…I saw her crying a lot for years after you disappeared._

_I didn't want to leave you guys, bud,_ Lee said sadly, _but when I got into this Eva, I had an eerie feeling that it was going to be a one-way ticket, and that I wouldn't be coming back out._

_Lee, I can _get_ you out,_ I said adamantly, _I don't know if I can bring you back to life on the Mortal Plane, but I can at least release you from the Eva._

_If that's all you can do, then that's all you can do,_ said Lee, _Now, what are you going to do about Rei?_

_You know about her?_

_Did you suddenly _forget_ that I can feel everything that _you're_ feeling right now?_ Lee asked, _I _know_ you're busted up inside about what's just happened. You really loved her, didn't you?_

_Yeah,_ I replied numbly, _I did. I just wish I'd have had more time to get her to love me _back_. Now she's gone._

_So, how are you going to get her back?_ he asked, _Are you just going to sit here and _whine_ about it like the little pest that you _used _to be? Or are you going to _fight_ for her like the _Angel_ you are _now_?!_

_You always _did_ know the right way to get me fired up and out of a funk,_ I smiled, _God, I've missed you, bro. I only hope I can find a way to get you back._

_If you can't, just tell mom that I love her and that I'm sorry for hurting her like this,_ Lee requested, _I really hope you get Rei back, Andrew. You deserve a girl like her._

I struggled to smile through my tears. After years of thinking that he was just dead, I found out that my brother's soul had been trapped inside my Evangelion. The question remained, though: Why did NERV _lie_ to me and tell me that he had _died_? Was it so I would agree to be a pilot in order to exact revenge on the world for his death? Was it some _other_ scheme concocted by Ikari to destroy another life? Or was it merely coincidence that it happened to _my_ brother and that it then became _my_ Eva? Coincidence is for idiots; there's no such thing. Everything that happens is a part of a plan, a greater design.

I returned to the cage and disembarked from my Eva. Shinji came running over to me and grabbed my shoulders and shook me fiercely.

"WHAT THE _HELL_ DID YOU JUST LET HER _DO_?!" he screamed at me, "YOU JUST LET AYANAMI _KILL_ HERSELF!! YOU…YOU…_**BASTARD**_!"

Shinji aimed a punch at my face. I, already in a rather feisty mood myself, blocked the punch while ducking down. While I was down low, I drove my right fist hard into Shinji's stomach. Shinji, the air driven from him, doubled over in pain. Shinji gasped and coughed, trying to breathe.

"You'll…pay…for that," he wheezed.

"Somehow, I don't think so," I said coldly, "I don't think you have it _in_ you, Ikari. _That's_ why your father didn't want you _out_ there, today: He was afraid you'd be too scared to fight against _this_ Angel and leave Rei and me to _die_ just like _Toji_!"

"_**FUCK YOU**_!" Shinji screamed, throwing himself at me.

I resisted the urge to use my powers to liquefy him. Instead, I jumped and roll-kicked him across the head, sending him sprawling backwards. I walked over and put my foot on his throat.

"Now _you_ listen to _me_, little boy," I snarled, "I didn't, _did not_, just _let_ Rei die. If I could have saved her, I _would_ have, do you _understand_?! I loved her more than you can _ever_ comprehend! Now, she's _gone_ and I have nothing _left_! You still have _Asuka_, Shinji! Damn it all, you two still _have_ each other! I have _nothing!_ The only one I had ever truly loved…just sacrificed her own life…to save us all. That includes _your_ worthless hide, too."

I broke down again and removed my foot from Shinji's throat. He stood up quickly, rage still burning in his mind. I sensed it and stood with my hands at my sides.

"If you want to hit me, go ahead," I said, my voice numb with tears, "I won't stop you, this time. But I will tell you this: it wasn't my fault."

I stood there and stared at Shinji through tear-blurred eyes. As I stood, I could sense the conflict within him. He was infuriated at me for standing there helplessly while Rei killed herself, yet he didn't feel right about hitting a defenseless person. He wanted to make me hurt for not saving Rei, yet he wanted to let it go and be my friend, too.

Commander Ikari walked out onto the catwalk.

"Pilot Hildreth," he said coldly, "Why did you do nothing to rescue the First Child?"

"There was nothing that I _could_ do, sir," I said honestly, "She _made_ her choice."

"Don't you tell me that!" the old man snarled, his face mere inches from mine, "Rei is…_was_ very important, and you let her destroy herself."

"Again I will say, Commander, that there was absolutely _nothing_ I could do to _stop_ her!" I said forcefully, trying vainly to keep my temper in check.

_What the hell's gotten _him_ so worked up into a rage?_ I wondered angrily, _Hmph. Maybe his pet bitch, Akagi didn't spread her legs wide enough when they screwed yesterday. He's such an evil, vile man. I can't wait to exact justice against him. Maybe I should just take care of that here and now… Yeah, it would be _easy_! It would be so easy to just crush his mind to jelly right now with my powers. No…even that doesn't sound satisfying enough… I'll turn him into a damn vegetable, that's it! He won't even recognize his own _reflection_ when I'm done with him!_

_Now is not the time for Your vengeance!_ the voice in my head pleaded, _ There _will_ be an opportunity, but You must have Your Guardian by Your side when you confront the offender!_

_My Guardian is dead!_ I cried, _Rei is _gone_!_

_No,_ said the Avenger spirit, _Merely Her body has been destroyed. You have preserved Her spirit and memories within Yourself. You are able to hold onto them until You find an empty vessel to deposit them into. Be patient, young Avenger. There is a time for everything. Now, it is time for You to return to Your quarters and let the natural process of mourning take place._

"I'm going home!" I said contemptuously.

"Your apartment is unfit for you to inhabit any longer," said Ikari.

"Why?!"

"I have word that contaminants were discovered on the floor above your living quarters," said the old man, "These were determined to be dangerous enough that I'm ordering you to evacuate your quarters and relocate; for your own safety."

"And since when do you give a dick about my _safety_, old man?!" I demanded harshly, "You just sent Rei and me out there against an opponent who was _clearly_ more than a match for us! The only reason _I_ made it back is because Rei _didn't_!"

"Continue your insubordination and you will spend the rest of your natural life in the stockade," Ikari growled.

"Hmph," I grunted, "Make the call if you want, but I'm going back to my apartment now."

I extended my will and took over Ikari's mind and implanted a command that he was not to make any calls to Section-2 to have me arrested. I couldn't believe what I was doing. I had just altered someone's thoughts again, where was the _guilt_? Where was the shame for breaking my own personal vow?

_I'm angry and I'm hurting,_ I reasoned, _That explains why I'm not ashamed. It doesn't make what I'm doing okay, but it explains why I feel no shame._

_Be _careful_ Avenger,_ my voice cautioned sternly, _You cannot keep rationalizing away all of Your dark decisions. If You start doing that, You will fall from the Light and be lost. You must curb your lust for vengeance and learn _patience_._

_Patience?_ I repeated cynically, _What good is patience? _Patience_ is what got Rei _killed_! I was too patient in my attack, and Rei was more aggressive._

_The Guardian was, perhaps, a little foolhardy,_ the Avenger said.

_How _DARE_ you!_ I roared mentally, _You DARE insult Rei's actions in my presence?! What Rei did was braver than I can _ever_ explain!_

_It is _I_ who must explain something to _You_, Avenger,_ the voice said, speaking as a father to a petulant son, _Patience is a virtue that _all_ Avengers must have, if they are to be successful. After all, does not a _patient_ hunter kill more game? Does not a _patient_ fisherman bring in fuller nets? Your prey had a reason for wishing You out of Your current domicile. As long as You are in control of his thoughts, make him tell You why._

I liked the sound of that idea, so I interrogated the helpless Ikari.

_Why did you want me out of my apartment, Ikari?_ I demanded, _What is the _real_ reason?_

_The cameras…_ the old man's captive mind wheezed, _Spy cameras…disabled in…resident apartments…_

_What spy cameras?_ I asked harshly.

_Section-2…_

That was all I needed to hear. Wiping Ikari's mind clean of my presence, I made him forget about his threat to call security on me. I also implanted the command that he was to ignore any warnings from Section-2 about any abnormalities detected from within Misato's apartment building. They were to be considered false reports and passed off as not worth listening to. Once that was done, I turned around and walked out of NERV without looking back at anyone.

My mind was numb as I walked back to my apartment. Once I was within my quarters, I stumbled dazedly back to my bedroom and collapsed onto my bed. As I lay, facedown, I was able to smell my covers and bed sheets.

_They smell like her_, I thought.

Pain began to rise through me. It cleared my mind of its daze, filled me up and threatened to make me explode. That pain, coupled with the borrowed memories that I had from Rei, made my eyes start to burn and ache with tears. I tried to fight them down, but they began to spill over.

I sobbed and cried for a long time. Again, it wasn't just the pain I felt at having to helplessly watch Rei kill herself, it was that pain coupled with the memories of hers that I had copied and now held on to. Every time I tried to think about something else, Rei's face popped into the foreground of my mind. Every time I tried to look away from it, I could smell her presence; like I had when I had held her in my arms as we danced. There was no way for me to escape from it! Her memories and _my_ memories _of_ her were driving me mad.

A new presence appeared to me, completely foreign from anyone that I had ever sensed before. He seemed human, but at the same time, he wasn't. I didn't detect any latent hostility in it, but I couldn't probe its thoughts. I arose from my bed and left my apartment, following my senses to find this new being.

I followed my psychic "nose" to the city limits. There, standing at a bus terminal, was a very pale-looking young man with dull, gray hair. He seemed to sense my presence, as well, because, as I approached, he turned to me and started smiling. He spoke to me in a very bright, friendly, yet slightly eerie voice as he said:

"Hello, Za'afiel."

**A.N.: Well, readers, I'm finally back in school. From here on out, updates will probably be a little spotty, but I promise that this story will continue until it's complete. I hope I didn't break your hearts too badly, but Rei had to die for the sake of the plot. Trust me, her sacrifice will not have been in vain. More Angels are on their way. Until then, may the Light guide you and the Muse protect you. (I think I'll use that phrase from now on. I just like the ring of it.)**

**Andrew Hildreth**


	14. Tabris and the Rebirth

Chapter 14

I stared at the strange youth. I was sensing something familiar yet alien about him. I felt like I had known him in a previous life, or something.

"What did you call me?" I asked.

_Avenger!_ my inner voice shouted, _He is not human! He is one of humanity's enemies, one which you call an Angel._

_An Angel?_ I asked, _Are you sure? He's a little odd, sure, but…_

_He called You by Your true name!_ the Avenger exclaimed, _He can sense Your Divinity. Our kind can detect one another._

That explained the sense I had gotten when I looked at him. He was an Angel, and I was a Seraph. I used my Divine senses, different from my telepathy, to find out this youth's true nature and identity. A name came to my attention.

"Hello, Tabris," I said, inclining my head cordially.

"So You know Me," he replied, his voice turning a little darker, "Good. I sensed You the instant I entered the city. You have set Yourself up as one of its protectors."

He paused, waiting for some kind of response from me. When I gave none, he continued:

"Where is Zophiel, Your partner? You are an Avenger, are You not? Should You not have a Guardian with You?"

That hit a nerve.

"If you could sense me when you entered the city, then you'd know that my Guardian is dead!" I snarled, "Now, Tabris, answer me truthfully: what is your reason for coming to this city? And be warned, I will know if you are lying."

"Ah, yes," said Tabris, "the telepathic powers that You stole from My sister, Arael. Well, My reason for being here is that I was sent by the organization, SEELE, to be the replacement pilot for Evangelion Unit-02."

"What makes you think we need a replacement pilot?" I asked cautiously.

"The Second Child is currently incapacitated, is she not?" Tabris asked, "A broken right tibia, if I am not mistaken?"

_How did SEELE know that Asuka was hurt already?_ I wondered, _The injury report hasn't even been _filed_ yet, I don't think._

_The organization known as SEELE has been around for centuries,_ said the Avenger, _They are always in the background, pulling the strings of mankind, manipulating them for their own, sinister purposes._

_If they're so bad, how come an Avenger hasn't eliminated them before now?_ I asked, confused.

_Some have tried,_ the Avenger replied sadly, _Those who did either were killed, or were turned to Darkness._

_So what's the story with this Tabris?_ I asked.

_He, I believe, was one of the Avengers that tried to eliminate SEELE and was turned to Darkness,_ the Avenger replied, _I do not know his powers, and I doubt that You will be able to probe his mind successfully. As an Angel, his mental and physical defenses are more formidable than Your powers are currently able to overcome._

_I see,_ I said gravely.

_If Tabris does intend on being the pilot for an Evangelion that already _has_ a pilot, he must first corrupt and destroy that Evangelion's soul,_ said the Avenger.

_Unit-02 has a soul, too?_ I asked, shocked.

_All of the Evangelions have a soul which resides within them,_ the Avenger explained, _You should know this by now, Za'afiel. You have encountered the souls of three Evangelions thus far, is it not logical that there would be a soul in the remaining one?_

I had to admit to that logic.

_So, what can I do?_

_You must release Unit-02's soul,_ the Avenger's voice replied, _If it is corrupted by Tabris' Dark influence, it will be damned to Hell for all of eternity._

_How can I release the soul?_

_You must establish a true connection with Your Divine powers_, said the Avenger, _Then, You must reach into the Evangelion, grasp the soul, and pray for its release into Heaven. If You are pure in Your intentions and steadfast in Your faith, the soul will be saved and released._

_What about Asuka?_ I asked, _Will she still be able to pilot the Eva after I release its soul?_

_I cannot say for certain,_ the Avenger replied, _That is irrelevant at this point. Right now, the important thing for you to do is to save a soul from damnation._

_Yes._

"Did you hear my question?" Tabris asked.

"I heard you," I replied, "and I have to ask how you know that Asuka broke her leg."

"I am not obligated to tell You My sources of information," Tabris replied.

_SEELE has spies inside of NERV, don't they?_ I asked the Avenger.

_I have no doubts of that,_ he replied.

"Well," I said, "I'll leave you to go about your business, then."

Tabris nodded, his manner friendly again. I turned and started to walk up the sidewalk, heading for my apartment. My cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"_Andrew! It's Shinji!_"

He sounded either excited about something or extremely stressed.

"What's going--?"

"_It's Ayanami! She's alive!_" Shinji interrupted.

"What?!"

"_Ayanami's alive!_" Shinji repeated, "_She survived the explosion!_"

_No, she didn't,_ I thought, _Ikari has awakened one of the clones. Good. Now is my time to act._

_What of the Fallen Angel?_ the Avenger asked.

_Let Shinji and Unit-01 deal with him,_ I replied, distracted, _I have more important things to take care of. My Guardian's body has been resurrected, and now it's time to return her soul and spirit. Once more, we'll be together; together and never to be parted again. Once we are together, I will take time to grow both of our Divine natures to full maturity._

_You cannot allow Yourself to be influenced by desires of the flesh,_ the Avenger chastised me sternly, _Your first duty is to the soul of Evangelion Unit-02. Release the soul first. Then, and _only_ then, should You turn Your attention to Rei Ayanami._

_Can you encompass what it means to truly love someone?_ I demanded,_ Or are you merely a Divine killing machine? Do you _have_ human feelings?_

_I am not human,_ said the voice, _therefore I cannot say that I have human feelings. I am able to encompass what it means to truly love, for love is the very _essence_ of Heaven. However, I also understand the difference between love and duty. Duty must always come first, and right now Your _duty_ is to save a soul from eternal damnation._

_To Hell and be damned with my duty!_ I exclaimed angrily, _Shouldn't my _Guardian_ be the first thing I worry about? Wasn't it _you_ who told me "above all else, protect your Guardian at all costs"?_

_That was before You allowed Her to perish._

_It's still my duty to do everything that I _can_ for her!_ I shouted, revolted at my inner voice's lack of humanity, _She's the woman I love _and_ she's my Divine partner!_

_Would the woman you love want you to think of _Her_ needs before the needs of someone else?_ the Avenger challenged.

_I…_

I couldn't answer. The angelic bastard had me over the proverbial barrel and he knew it. He backed me into a corner, and I _allowed_ it to happen.

_How do I contact my Divine powers?_

_Meditate and pray, Avenger,_ the voice replied, _Believe in what You are asking for, and it will come to You._

I walked on for another few blocks. I realized what part of town I was in, and deliberately took a few unneeded turns. I found myself standing outside of the same club that Rei and I had gone to on our date just a few hours previously. Now, after dark, the place looked far more dangerous and foreboding. I resisted the urge to go in and start trouble.

I walked the rest of the way back to my apartment. Once I was there, I went back to my bedroom and unfurled my wings. In the darkness of my apartment, suddenly my bedroom was as bright as morning. I settled myself down onto the floor and started to breathe and focus inwards.

I found myself floating on the Astral Plane once again. Curious, I began to wander the dark space. I knew that the Plane would conform itself to any shape that I wished, but I kind of enjoyed the darkness. Suddenly, there was a great burst of white light that illuminated my entire surroundings.

"Who's there?" I asked loudly.

"_You are, and I AM_," a deep, echoing voice replied.

"Who are you?" I asked, feeling rather terrified.

"I AM that I AM," the voice replied.

I fell to my knees, staring straight down at the white ground. I knew who I was speaking to, now. The manner of speech and the way in which He referred to Himself revealed it. I was speaking directly with the Lord Almighty.

"Arise, Za'afiel, for You are in My presence," God said.

"I am unworthy to stand in Your presence, O Lord," I said, not looking up.

"You are worthy, for You are My chosen Avenger," said the Lord, "You are the Flaming Sword of My Judgment. You are My Wrath. You were chosen because of Your gifts."

"What gifts have I that are worthy of Your attention, Lord?" I asked humbly. I could feel Him smiling as He replied.

"You have great courage, My child," said the Lord, "You have great resolve. But most important of all, You have great compassion, Za'afiel. Because You began Your tenure as Avenger as a human, You have great knowledge of humanity."

"But it was You who made humanity, O God," I said, "My knowledge must _pale_ in comparison to Yours."

"I have lost touch with humanity," God admitted, "And, certainly I am able to _know_ what happens on the earth, but I am not permitted to _affect_ what happens on the earth."

"And why is that, Lord?" I asked.

"When the race of man was first created, a Covenant was struck between Me and one of my former lieutenants," the Lord answered, "That lieutenant's name…was--,"

"Lucifer," I finished, "He was an archangel, wasn't he?"

"Yes," the Lord replied, "Lucifer was once one of My most trusted lieutenants. However, he sinned through lust and pride and led a rebellion against Heaven. When he and his followers were defeated, they were cast out of Heaven into the region that became Hell. When I created the earth and all that live upon it, Lucifer and I struck a Covenant of non-interference. This non-interference is what allows men to govern themselves through free will. Thus, I abide by that Covenant and do not interfere. Lucifer, however, freely violates the Covenant because he is evil. In response to his violations, I created the Avengers and Guardians to restore balance to the world. To create them, I filled a human vessel with the spirit of one of My soldiers. This gave the chosen vessel great powers."

"But without the willpower and responsibility to _govern_ those powers…"

"Many were corrupted by Their powers and fell to Darkness," said the Lord, sounding very sad, "Among them were Avengers like Richard, the Lion-hearted."

"Richard?!" I gasped, "_He_ was an _Avenger_?!"

"As was Hernando Cortes," said the Lord, "Both were chosen by Me to carry My Word to peoples who did not know Me. But they became corrupted by the promise of wealth and power, and so fell from My sight. You, now, are being tempted by the use of your omniscient abilities. You are also tempted by the promise of love from Your Guardian."

"Are Avengers not allowed to fall in love?" I asked, aghast.

"Certainly they are," said the Lord, "Love is paramount to Your mission, but You cannot allow Your passion to cloud Your vision. If You allow Yourself to be blinded by emotion, You risk becoming obsessed."

"Obsession…"

"Yes," the Lord said, "You realize it, as well. Obsession is the very reason You have been awakened. The man, Gendo Ikari, is obsessed with trying to reunite with his wife. Her body is gone, but her soul remains trapped within that machine. He is obsessed with trying to become like unto Me."

"And for that, he has helped in causing the deaths of billions during the Second Impact, and dozens more by his own orders," I said, finally starting to realize the scope of the evil that I was dealing with, "Lord, please, I need Your help. You must open my mind to the full scope of my Divine abilities. There is a soul that is in need of my help. It is trapped within one of the Evangelion machines, and there is a Fallen Angel about to take over piloting it. If his influence corrupts that soul, it will be lost to Hell. I must save it. Please, Lord, help me. I humbly beg this of You."

"So You have asked, so shall it become as You have asked," said the Lord.

I felt my mind open. Memories that were not mine came flooding to the surface. I saw the battle of Thermopylae, the sacking of Jerusalem, several other ancient battles that I had never seen before, as well as other scenes of attacks and deaths. My thoughts filled with knowledge of my strengths. I had the power to use my protection field as a weapon, to easily crush the thoughts of men with my mind, as well as the ability to fly on my fiery wings, fire flame darts from my wings, and summon a sword of flame from nowhere. It all hit me so fast, yet it all made perfect sense to me.

"Arise, Za'afiel," said the Lord.

I stood, no longer fearful in the Lord's presence, and looked down at my body. I had added at least twenty pounds of sheer muscle to my frame, and was standing about three inches taller than I used to. I was immediately concerned.

"Lord," said I, "won't people notice that I've changed?"

"You have the power to alter Your appearance to take on any shape that will allow You to approach Your targets with ease," said the Lord, "Now, Za'afiel, heed My words closely: You must now go and free the captive souls of the Evangelions."

"All of them?"

"All of the ones that remain trapped," the Lord answered, "The soul of Yui Ikari, the soul of Kyoko Soryu, and the soul of Your human brother."

"Lee…" I breathed. Then, I had a thought. However, before I could speak it, the Lord answered me:

"No, Za'afiel, there is no way for Your human brother to be returned to Mortal life," He said, answering my unspoken question, "He can only be released to Heaven."

"Will the Evangelions still be useable after I release the souls?"

"No," the Lord answered, "After the soul has been released from its captivity, the shells will become useless."

"What if they're needed again?"

"You will be there," the Lord answered, "Now…go and bring justice to the world. Remember: free the souls _first_, then revive Your Guardian."

"Yes, Lord," I replied.

My mind returned to the Mortal Plane. As my eyes opened, I stood up, my spine erect with pride. At last, I knew my mission. At last, I understood. It wasn't all some fantasy; I really _had_ been chosen by God to be a bringer of justice, an Avenger. I walked out into the hallway and looked at myself in the mirror.

My frame was mythical, to say the least. I was standing at least six and a half feet tall, maybe more. My body frame looked like some kind of Herculean model; I was ripped, but not bulky. My wings looked fuller and more magnificent than ever before. I did a double-take.

_I've grown another two pairs of wings._

And so I had. I now had _six_ brilliant, flaming wings sprouting from my back. My hair had gone snow white in coloration, as had my eyes. My face looked rather dead, truth be told, though it had a supernatural beauty and grace to it, as well.

_If I can really assume any shape I want, then let's try…_

I concentrated on my normal, outward appearance and watched my reflection change. It was strange at first to see my body shrink in size and my hair and eyes darken. My six wings withdrew into my body, and I was perfectly human-looking.

_Perfect_, I thought. Then, I realized something.

_The voice of the Avenger is silent in my mind. No it's not…Now it's _my_ voice. I've become one with my Spirit, at last. Whew…at least now I won't have to listen to him lecture._

My musings came to an end as I re-dressed (my clothes had ripped when my body had grown). I now had a mission to complete, and nothing was going to stand in my way. After pulling on a fresh set of clothes, I walked back out of my apartment and headed for NERV. It was late at night, and I could sense many malevolent human thoughts and actions. The creatures of the night, the stalkers, the prowlers, the rapists, and muggers, were all out on the prowl.

_Let one of them try to accost me,_ I thought, _They'll find I'm not a very desirable target._

I walked defiantly through the gates at NERV and headed for the Eva cages. No one stopped me, and anyone who tried to question me soon "forgot" what it was they were trying to say to me and left me to go about my business undisturbed. I stood in front of Evangelion Unit-02 and looked at its gigantic face. I realized that I would have to be in contact with the Eva in order to channel its soul. I unfurled my wings and soared up to its face. I placed one of my hands against the cold, metal hulk and raised my other towards Heaven.

"By the Power given to Me by the Lord God," I said, my voice becoming a deep, authoritative rumble, "I release you from your captivity within this shell, Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. Go to Him now, and be spared from the Fallen One's touch."

I felt an alien warmth enter through my fingertips. It spread quickly up my arm and into my chest. I could feel something moving inside of me. As it passed up my raised arm and out into the æther, I felt the soul's presence with my mind.

_I owe you,_ she said.

_No, good woman, it was My duty to bring you to Salvation,_ I replied.

_What of my little Asuka?_

_She will be well cared-for,_ I assured her, _There is a young man now that loves her and will marry her one day. Go to your peace._

_Thank you…_

She was gone.

_That's one down, two more to go,_ I thought, satisfied, _However, Yui Ikari's soul will be the last to be released. I am not the one destined to fight Tabris. If I reveal my true form in order to do battle with him, my mission to eliminate Ikari will be a failure. Yes, I must let Shinji deal with Tabris._

I left NERV and headed for my apartment, intent on getting at least a few hours' sleep. I reflected back on the very trying day that I had had. I smiled morosely as I thought of Rei and how much I still loved her and longed to be by her side. I stopped suddenly, sensing a presence in front of me. I looked up. Staring me in the face were a familiar pair of crimson eyes and a lovely mop of ice-blue hair.

"Ayanami…"

"Pilot Hildreth," she replied. I winced. Her voice was just as cold and expressionless as it had been the very first day we met; perhaps even _more_ so. She wasn't the same girl that I had fallen in love with; but she _could_ be.

_I could give her back her memories, her soul, and her powers,_ I thought, _But is now the right time? Isn't my duty to the souls of the Evangelions first?_

I thought about it for a brief moment. The only soul that had been in immediate jeopardy was the soul of Unit-02. That soul was now safely out of harm's way and off to Heaven. The soul of Unit-01 was still needed in place in order for Shinji to defeat Tabris using his Eva. Rei's soul, the soul of Unit-00, was still stored within _me_, and the soul of _my_ Eva, Unit-04, was going to be the most _difficult_ for me to release. It was going to be exceedingly difficult for me to just let go of my brother like that; not after I just discovered why he had disappeared all those years ago. I wanted more time to talk to him again.

_My dear child,_ came the deep, fatherly voice of the Lord, _once Your brother is here with Me, You may speak with him at any time you so choose._

_It's still hard for me to just let him go, Lord,_ I replied,_ After all, he _is_ my brother. I love him very much._

_Then, set him free from his prison,_ said the Lord, _Show your brother that You truly care about him by releasing him to My gates. You do not need that machine any longer, You are more powerful than any life form on the earth at this moment._

_Yes…_ I agreed, _Lord, I have a question:_

_The answer is yes, my child,_ the Lord replied, _Now is the time to re-awaken your Guardian. You have released the soul of Kyoko Soryu from the imminent danger of the Fallen Angel's touch. Now is the time to turn Your concentration to Your Guardian's needs. Tend to Her._

I nodded to myself. Rei saw me and looked confused.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"What?" I asked in reply.

"I could hear you muttering to yourself," Rei said, "Do you have a history of schizophrenia?"

I shook my head and walked up to her. As Rei tried to pull away from the proximity, I caught her by the arm and placed my hand on her forehead. After doing this, I focused my powers on implanting into Rei's mind the copied memories that I had taken from her, as well as returning the soul that was rightfully hers. Rei gasped as her knees gave way beneath her and I was forced to catch her. As all of her memories came flooding back and settling into place, Rei shuddered and shook in my embrace. Finally, her eyes opened and flooded with tears.

"Andrew…"

"Hello, Rei," I replied, smiling gently.

Rei threw her arms around my neck and held me tightly. I embraced her just as tightly, feeling my own relief reaching a crescendo.

_I remember everything_, Rei thought to me, _Our first meeting, our date…my death…everything. There is something more, as well. I feel…whole._

_I gave you your soul back, Rei,_ I replied, _You asked me to pull the soul out of your Evangelion before you detonated it. The soul that I pulled out…was yours. Ikari trapped your soul within Unit-00 in order to trap _you_ into piloting for him._

_That is unjust,_ Rei responded, _What he is doing is not right._

_That is why we are going to punish him, Zophiel,_ I said, addressing her by her Angelic name.

_What did…you call me?_

_I called You by name, Zophiel,_ I said, reinforcing my point, _Look deep within Your soul. There, You will find, hidden, powers that make You a Guardian of this world, even as I am an Avenger of the Lord's justice._

_I am…a Guardian…_ Rei repeated, stunned.

_Let's go find somewhere private to investigate Your powers,_ I suggested.

_We are near your apartment, Andrew,_ said Rei, _It would make the most sense to go there._

_That it would,_ I agreed, _Shall we?_

_Certainly,_ Rei replied.


	15. The Guardian

Chapter 15

A very short hand-in-hand walk later, Rei and I were back at my apartment. As Rei stepped through the door, she breathed a very deep sigh of relief. She squeezed my hand happily.

"Do you remember your wings, Rei?" I asked.

_Shouldn't we speak privately about these things? _she asked telepathically, sounding distressed.

"We _are_ speaking privately," I said confidently, expecting her next statement.

"What of the cameras put in place by Section-2?"

"They are still disabled from when my powers first awakened," I said confidently, "And even if they _aren't_, Ikari won't believe Section-2's reports."

"Why not?"

"Because I told him not to," I answered, "I find I can be very…persuasive…when I need to be."

"What of your vow not to use your powers for personal gain?" Rei asked.

"This was not for personal gain," I said, "This was to make sure that our mission stayed secret. If Ikari were informed of my powers, or yours, it would alert him that we were preparing to kill him."

"But I am not ready," Rei protested.

"Once I awaken your powers, Rei, you will be. You will be," I assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" Rei asked doubtfully.

"Because I _am_ sure," I replied, "The Lord has spoken to me and told me the true nature of our mission. The elimination of Gendo Ikari is only _part_ of that mission. The rest of it revolves around ridding the world of SEELE, once and for all."

"You wish to attack SEELE?" Rei gasped, "Are you mad?"

"No," I answered, "I am _driven_; driven to seek justice, driven to enforce the laws of our Lord, driven to restore balance to this world. But most of all, I am driven to make this world safe for _you_, Rei; because I love you."

There was a pause.

"I…love you, too, Andrew," Rei replied slowly, "I think I have…for a long time. I am sorry that I left you in the manner that I did."

"It was the only feasible way to defeat Armisael," I said, waving a dismissing hand.

"No," Rei said, sounding somewhat frustrated, "It was selfish of me to try and be the hero, just for the sake of saving the day all by myself."

"What do you mean?"

"When Ikari-kun…Shinji…first came to this city to be an Eva pilot, he encountered me in…less than prime condition," Rei explained, "I had been badly injured in an activation experiment for Unit-00. Then, when we did not have any other pilots, I was sortied in Evangelion Unit-01 to defeat the Third Angel. I was unsuccessful, and badly beaten and injured. Shinji arrived and initially refused to be the pilot, so I was ordered to pilot again. I do not know if I would have survived the battle had Shinji not felt the urge to protect me and agreed to pilot. Since then, I have not been able to defeat an Angel by myself without the help of others."

"But being an Eva pilot is all about being a part of a _team_," I said, "That was the mistake that Asuka kept making, from what I read of her performance record. She kept trying to be the big, solo hero, and that almost got her killed on a couple of different occasions. By not trying to hog all the glory for yourself, you survived relatively unharmed for much longer."

"But it was a very lonely existence," Rei said sadly, "Is it…_wrong_…that I desired to be praised for my accomplishments? All I wanted was recognition."

"No, Rei, it wasn't wrong of you," I replied gently, "It's very _human_ to desire the praise of others for the things we do. However, you are _above_ those things, now. You no longer have the Evangelion, so you are no longer bound by the will of Gendo Ikari. You are free; free to make your own choices, free to enjoy your life unhampered by the demented whims of that man and his puppet whore, Akagi."

"But…will they not notice the change within me?" Rei asked, seeming worried.

"Only if you _allow_ them to notice, Rei," I said, "Once I help you unlock the rest of your powers, you will be able to do almost _anything_. I don't know the full extent of a Guardian's powers, but I know that with you and I together, anything will be possible, and there won't be a power on earth that will be able to stop us; not even SEELE."

"What must I do?"

"Open your mind," I replied, "and trust me. I will use my powers to bring you before the Lord, and He will release your hidden gifts."

"Yours have been released already?" Rei asked.

"Yes."

"May I see your true form?" Rei requested.

"You will," I said, "When I guide you to the Lord, you will. Now, sit down and take my hand. It is time to begin."

Rei settled down onto the floor with me and held my hand tightly. She seemed almost…afraid to let me go. She looked over at me, concern and uncertainty radiating from her every pore.

"Why are you so afraid, Rei?" I asked, "We've gone to the Astral Plane before."

"If I am to speak to God, what shall I say?" Rei asked nervously.

"You won't," I said, "I will talk to Him for you. If He asks you to talk, do so honestly and calmly. Don't be afraid."

Rei smiled and calmed down.

"Yes," she agreed quietly, "Why should I be afraid of anything? You will be with me, and I know that you will not allow me to come to any harm."

I smiled broadly. I used my mental powers and projected the two of us onto the Astral Plane. Once again, we floated hand-in-hand through the darkness. As Rei was about to question me about something, I felt the light of the Lord shine down on us. The darkness became a vast plane of whiteness. Rei dropped to her knees in fear, initially losing contact with me. I stood fast, realizing the presence of my Master.

"Arise and be welcome, Zophiel," said the Lord.

Rei looked up at me hesitantly. She realized that she had lost contact with my hand and quickly seized it tightly.

"She is afraid, Lord," I said, addressing Him, "even as was I until You opened my mind. And that is why I have brought her before You, O Lord: so that her mind may be opened as has mine."

"Do You speak on behalf of Your Guardian?" the Lord asked.

"For now, Lord," I replied, "Unless You address her directly."

"Is this the truth, Zophiel?" asked the Lord, addressing Rei.

"It is, Mighty One," she replied humbly, staring at the ground.

"Are You afraid to speak on Your own behalf?" the Lord asked.

"Only in Your presence, Mighty Lord," Rei answered.

"Za'afiel," said the Lord, "Why have you brought this girl to Me?"

"Because she is ready to be fully awakened as a Guardian," I answered, "It is what she desires, so that we may complete our mission."

"Zophiel," said the Lord, turning his attention to Rei, "Why have You come before Me?"

"I have come to be awakened, my Lord," Rei replied, "I…ask this of you…quietly and humbly."

I felt the Lord smiling.

"So You have proclaimed it, Guardian," said the Lord, "and so shall it be."

Rei released my hand suddenly as her body seized up. Her icy wings sprouted from her back, followed by four more. Her small frame took on a slightly larger physique, similar to the change that mine had. Obviously, as a woman, Rei did not assume the Herculean physique that I had, but her body increased in size and proportion. This caused her clothes to tear, and her body to spill free. Her hair lengthened down to her shoulders and became snow-white. Finally, Rei stood; erect, proud, and unashamed of her nakedness. She looked over at me and smiled. Initially, I blanched slightly at her white eyes. I know that I had a set to match, but seeing them on another person and having them look through you is just plain _eerie_!

"Za'afiel," said the Lord, "Your Guardian has expressed a desire to see You in Your true form."

I obliged, spreading my wings and assuming my Avenger status. I stood once more in proportion with Rei. We stood and faced the source of the light. The Lord spoke to us again:

"My two chosen warriors," He said, "Now that You understand the scope of Your mission, You must not allow each other to flag or fall prey to temptation. Look after each other and keep safe. And be warned: SEELE must not be underestimated."

"Yes, Lord," I replied.

Rei and I emerged from our trances, still hand-in-hand and in our warrior forms. I looked at the digital clock/calendar that I had sitting on my shelf, and my eyes widened with shock. A full day had passed since Rei and I had sat down to unlock her powers. My telepathic abilities detected Tabris.

"Rei," I said, "the Fallen Angel is making his move, and NERV is unprepared."

"What shall we do?"

"He will be bound for Terminal Dogma and the Angel contained therein," I said, "Shinji and Unit-01 will not be able to intercept him in time to stop him from reaching this goal. Therefore, we must set ourselves up inside of Terminal Dogma and use our AT Fields to block him from reaching his goal long enough for Shinji to stop him and kill him."

"Would it not be more effective for us to kill him outright?" Rei asked.

"Ordinarily, I would say 'yes'," I replied, "But as Tabris is still one of the Angels that NERV was created to combat, it is still Shinji's duty to try first. If he is unsuccessful, and I have faith in him that he will not be unsuccessful, then, and _only_ then, will we intervene to stop Tabris. However, I am worried that we will not be able to get to Terminal Dogma in time to form our diversion."

"Leave that to me," said Rei, taking my other hand and forming her body and clothes to her old school uniform, "One of my powers as Guardian is the ability to instantly transport myself and anyone else I am touching to anywhere that I can picture in my mind. If you are with me, then it makes it that much easier for us to reach our targets. Now hold on."

I nodded, and almost immediately felt my body being pulled into nothingness. My breath caught in my throat as the entropy tore at me.

_This is the gap that exists between spaces and times,_ Rei explained, _Ordinarily, the gap lasts only as long as a fraction of an instant, and so is not felt. However, the gap will now feel longer as our bodies cross through space and backwards through time._

_Backwards?_ I asked.

_Yes, _Rei replied, _In order for us to appear in our destination at the same instant that we left our origin, we must travel backwards slightly through the time stream._

_Oh, I see,_ I said, comprehending, _It makes sense now. Rei, how much longer is it? It's getting hard to breathe!_

Rei didn't have to answer me. As soon as I finished my question, I felt Rei and I pop back into reality. I heaved a large sigh, freshening the air in my lungs.

"Well…_that_ was a trifle unsettling," I remarked.

"It will get easier with practice," Rei promised.

I looked around. We were standing up on a very high ledge in a cave-like room. This was Terminal Dogma, I realized. This was the very heart of NERV. But Rei had said that she could transport us only to places that she could see in her mind. That must mean…

"Yes, I have been down here before," Rei said, reading my thought process, "This is where I came to retrieve the Lance of Longinus during the battle with the Fifteenth Angel."

I started to nod, but looked suddenly over at the gigantic door that was in the room. I could sense battle on the other side. Shinji and Unit-01 had joined the fray and were fighting…Unit-02??

"What the hell?" I wondered, "How can Unit-02 be taken without its soul? Unless…unless Tabris can possess it no matter what since they are both spawned from the first Angel, Adam!"

"Your powers of deduction are fantastic," Rei marveled, "I was just coming to that same conclusion, myself."

"He's opening the door," I said, temporarily ignoring Rei's praise, "Get ready."

Rei nodded. Just as the door started to open, she and I both extended our AT Fields to full power and formed a barrier around Terminal Dogma. Tabris stopped, unable to proceed further. He looked up and saw me. He frowned.

"So this is the path I must take," I heard him say, "Must one who was spawned from Adam return to Adam though it will destroy the Lilim? Wait…this isn't…_Lilith_?! Yes, I see! Lilith! The Lilim!"

I sensed Unit-01's approach and dropped my Field. Rei mirrored my move. Tabris moved to one side as the two giant robots came bursting through the wall. Unit-02 had a progressive knife sticking into its face, and had ceased movement. Unit-01 had large gashes in its armor, but strode forward and gripped Tabris in its gigantic fist. I sensed Tabris' AT Field, which up until that point had been up at full power, drop. He was now very vulnerable and able to be killed.

I could hear Shinji arguing with Tabris. He was calling him a betrayer, and comparing his betrayal to that of his father's. I chuckled softly. This boy, once a mouse, had become a man.

_Now…_ I thought to myself, _let's see if you can kill him, Shinji. He _looks_ human, but will that stop you from seeing that he is an _Angel_ and a _threat_?_

Tabris was speaking:

"It is my destiny to live forever, though my survival will bring about the final destruction of mankind. However, it is possible for me to be killed and whether I live or die makes no great difference. In truth, death may be the _only_ absolute freedom there is."

There was a pause. Tabris continued:

"This is my wish: Please, destroy me. Otherwise, _you_ will be destroyed. Only one life form can be chosen to evade the destruction and seize the future, and you are not the existence which should die. You _need_ the future. It is what you Lilim _live_ for. I thank you, Shinji Ikari. My life had meaning…because of you…"

The silver-haired youth closed his eyes and smiled serenely, awaiting his fate. I looked on expectantly.

_Come on, Shinji_, I urged mentally, _do it! Kill him, you can _do_ it!_

_Why do you wish Shinji to break his vows?_ Rei asked, _Is it because you have done it yourself?_

_My vow was made in a moment of weakness before I realized the scope of my mission,_ I said irritably, _Shinji's vow to never take a human life does not apply here. Tabris is an Angel, and therefore, must be destroyed._

Long minutes passed in absolute stillness. Unit-01's hand did not move or stir. Tabris waited ever patiently for his demise, yet Shinji did not strike the killing blow. Confused and frustrated at his indecisiveness, I tapped into Shinji's thoughts to find out why. There was a war raging in his thoughts.

_Kaworu's an Angel, I _have_ to _kill_ him!_ raged part of Shinji's mind.

_But he was nice to me when we met,_ reasoned another part of his mind, _Why do I have to kill someone who was so nice to me?_

_Because he's our enemy,_ shouted the first part, _We've got to kill him or sacrifice everyone we love!_

I resisted the urge to exercise my will on Shinji's mind and make him strike. If he was going to kill Tabris, the one he called Kaworu, it would have to be by his own hand. I could not interfere in this matter. To do so would be a violation of my calling. I withdrew from Shinji's mind and waited with Rei.

Unit-01 came to life with a sudden movement and crushed Tabris like an egg. I watched with grim satisfaction as the Fallen Angel's head splashed into the lake of LCL below. Tabris was dead. Unit-01 silently exited Terminal Dogma, leaving me and Rei alone in the cavernous space.

"It is done," I said, "The last of the Angels have come and been destroyed. Now we may continue with our mission."

"Yes," Rei agreed, "Now it is time to release the rest of the souls from the Evangelions and eliminate our targets."

"I sense one more thing that remains to be eliminated other than our targets," I said gravely, "the Evangelion Series; soulless dolls that masquerade as true Evangelions. There are nine of them."

"I know of them," Rei said, "Commander Ikari informed me of the details of the Evangelion Project. How shall we deal with them?"

"I don't know," I replied, "Perhaps we should leave one of the Evas to fight them. It would ill-behoove us to reveal our powers and weapons before at least Gendo Ikari has been dealt with."

"Then we shall deal with him first, and then destroy the Eva Series," Rei said decisively.

"Right," I agreed, "Well, shall we go?"

"To where?" Rei asked.

"How about another date?"

"No more rock and roll clubs, though, please?" Rei asked, smiling, "Things came to a rather… unpleasant end the last time we went to one of those places."

"Are you talking about your death?" I asked, "Or when I tried to kiss you?"

"My death, silly," Rei said, rolling her eyes at me, "Even though we did not kiss, the sensations that the event created in my body were very…intense…and pleasant."

"Hmm," I hummed in response, "Well, I know that you love music, so how about we find someplace a little more…classical?"

"Where?" Rei asked, "The city was destroyed when I detonated Unit-00."

"It's not a question of 'where'," I said, "just a question of 'when'."

"You mean, go back to the actual Classical Period and listen to the music then?" Rei asked.

"Why not?" I said, "It's some-when that we can go and be just to ourselves. No one else here can follow us, unless they touch you at the instant we go to leave. On top of that, no one will know we were even gone, since we can return at the same instant we left."

"That sounds…both thrilling and difficult at the same time," said Rei, more of the excitement than the concern showing in her voice, "I have never…"

"I know you've never tried a time-jump this big before," I said, "But I also have faith that you'll be able to do it. After all, together…we're unstoppable."

"But remember that I cannot transport us to anywhere that I cannot picture clearly in my mind," Rei pointed out.

"Don't you worry about that," I said, "Just take us back to my apartment and I'll handle the rest."

Rei took my hand and "jumped" us back to my apartment. It was still uncomfortable to feel that nothingness ripping at my being, but it was a little easier than the first time. Once we were back and settled, I sat down at my computer desk and accessed a historical database that I knew of. Not only did this database contain facts and information, it also contained holographic recreations of various places based on text descriptions collected over the years. Rei looked on with wonder and amazement.

"I can remember all of these places as though I have been there before, but I cannot believe that you can find them on the Internet so quickly," she mused.

"If you can remember them, why not try and jump to them?" I said, not looking up from the screen.

"Because the Classical period was so…stuffy," Rei said, "Except for Beethoven."

"Beethoven has always been one of _my_ favorites, too," I said, nodding in agreement. I opened up some music files and played Beethoven's _Fur Elise_, my personal favorite. The gentle, floating piano music filled my apartment and made my spirit soar. I turned around to see Rei swaying softly in place with her eyes blissfully closed. Seeing her so wrapped up in the music made me smile.

"It would be so beautiful to hear this performed at the time when it was written," Rei remarked quietly, still swaying to the music.

"Let's go to Vienna, then," I said, "1810, when it was written. Perhaps we can convince the master composer to play it for us, personally."

"You will not use your powers on him, will you?" Rei asked.

"No, of course not," I replied, "That would be coercion. No, we'll simply have to rely on our charm and personality to win him over. Of course, your beauty will also help. Beethoven was said to have quite the eye for the ladies."

Rei blushed.

"Perhaps we should just make our date a tour of musical history," I suggested, "We could go back and listen to all of the works of all of the great composers. After we go back and listen to Beethoven for a while, we could go and listen to some Chopin, or some Brahms, or Strauss, or Mozart…"

"Mmm…Mozart…" Rei sighed. Clearly, I had struck a resonating chord in her musical mind. I could hardly fault her for it, though. Mozart was music that _every_ musician knew that they loved. I couldn't play an instrument if you _told_ me to, but I love to sing.

Another type of music that I absolutely adore is string quartet and solo cello. There's just something about the gentle resonation of the strings that sets my pulse racing and dragging all at the same time. It both soothes and excites me.

"Did you know that Shinji plays the cello?" Rei asked, reading my thoughts and feelings.

"Is _that_ who I've heard practicing?" I asked, "Hmm…Well, Asuka never _did_ strike me as the cellist type, so I guess Shinji's the next most logical choice. Speaking of Shinji, I ought to find out just how he's handling the fact that he killed something that looked human and who he thought was 'nice' to him."

I stretched out my thoughts, trying to find where Shinji was. Thanks to my newfound understanding of my powers, my range had increased to a nearly global level. I knew that it was now possible for me to find almost anyone nearly anywhere. I detected Shinji in the showers at NERV, rinsing off the LCL. I listened to his thoughts.

_Why did I have to kill Kaworu?_ he was wondering, _Is it because they said he was an Angel? He seemed so friendly; not like any of the _other_ Angels who came. _They_ all tried to kill us. Kaworu didn't try to attack us, though. And he _could_ have, too, with as much time as he spent inside of NERV's defenses. How'd he _get_ in, anyway? How'd he take control of Unit-02? Oh, god…Asuka's gonna _kill_ me when she finds out what I had to do to her Eva… Maybe she'll forgive me when she sees what I'm gonna do for our date._

I withdrew from Shinji's thoughts. He was having some difficulties, but he would be able to cope, I was certain of that; especially if he was any kind of a musician. Musicians and other artists all seem to perform at their peaks when they are under some kind of emotional distress; depression, anger, sadness, all of these were examples of things that would drive an artist to exceed their own boundaries of excellence. The key for a musician, however, is to isolate what it was that made that last performance so excellent and learn how to synthesize it for each of the successive performances so that they are _all_ that good.

"You seem lost in your thoughts again," Rei said, bringing me back to reality, "Do you spend a lot of time lost in your thoughts?"

"More than most people, I think," I answered, "Less than some, however. Shall we go?"

"Definitely," said Rei. Her voice was laced with excitement over the impending trip through musical history.


	16. The Invasion

Chapter 16

Rei and I poured ourselves through history for what might have been days, weeks, or even months of actual time; we lost track. We didn't mind, though. We loved the alone time, and we grew closer than ever before. It didn't matter to us that most of our favorite composers lived in countries that didn't speak either English or Japanese. My telepathic abilities made it possible for me to instantly become fluent in any of the local dialects.

"This has been so much fun," I said as Rei and I walked out of the cathedral where we had just seen Handel's _Messiah_ performed.

"Yes," Rei agreed, "I have enjoyed spending this time with you, Andrew. When will we go next?"

I laughed. I know it sounds ridiculous, but Rei had asked that same question after every performance we had gone to see, and it had become sort of a running gag. I thought about it for a little while.

Rei and I had gone to see at least one performance of pieces done by every one of our favorite composers; some we had gone to see two or even _three_ different performances. We had seen a live performance of _Fur Elise_ performed by Beethoven, himself. We had the opportunity to witness Frederic Chopin play his _Nocturne in C-sharp Minor_, as well as Bach's _Suite for Solo Violincello No. 1_. Now, most recently, adding to our long list of performances attended, we just saw Handel's _Messiah_.

"You know," I finally said, "I think the only time and place I want to go is home."

Rei nodded, seeming satisfied with that answer. I sensed that she was a little bit anxious to go home, too. Rei took my hand and we slipped back "between", as we had come to call it. A few heartbeats later, we stood in my apartment in Tokyo-3. Now, I could really consider myself jet-lagged, because when we popped back into reality and the present, it was the exact same instant that we left, chronologically. However, _bio_logically, it felt like we had been gone for days and days.

"That's a feeling that's going to take some serious getting-used-to," I remarked, feeling an intense wave of disorientation and fatigue set in.

Fatigue was nothing new to me. After all, when you've been travelling for a long time, you _get_ tired. The interesting thing was: our powers allowed Rei and me to refresh ourselves without sleeping. We became more alert, more cognizant, and more…well…awake, I guess. However, after we had done it a few times, we began to feel a drain on our powers. Power is no substitute for real sleep, I realized. The instant-refreshing power was only to be used in situations where sleep was impractical or impossible to accomplish, such as in a situation where we would be pursuing a target that was very powerful and wanted to track them down as quickly as possible.

"Shall we get some sleep, then?" Rei asked, "I am tired, too."

"Gladly," I yawned, heading for my bedroom.

Rei followed and soon the two of us were settled under my covers and dozing happily. I was in a pair of lounge pants, while Rei was sleeping in her usual nothing. It still bothered me a little bit that Rei slept in nothing around me, but it was what she felt comfortable doing, so I didn't make any protests. I knew that I wouldn't try to take advantage of her, unless she made advances, and then I would gladly reciprocate.

Two-and-a-half weeks passed slowly in a repetition. Rei and I would go about our business at NERV. Shinji and Asuka grew closer daily, especially with her physical therapy for her leg. NERV's medical facilities had amazing capacities to regenerate the body, and all of these possibilities were made available to Asuka since she was a pilot and expected to return to active duty as soon as possible. However, without the emotional support supplied by Shinji, even Asuka's formidable stubbornness and resolve would have waned rapidly. She faced the toughest challenge of her life, but she didn't do it alone. I admired Shinji's bravery in the matter. Putting up with an angry, German red-head would have been hard enough, but putting up with one who was in pain would have had to have been about a hundred times worse. Yet, through it all, Shinji never once complained about how bitchy Asuka may or may not have been.

_He really does care for her,_ I mused one day as I watched the two of them together in the hospital, _The two of them go together almost as well as Rei and I do._

After our days of going through the motions at NERV, Rei and I would return to my apartment (she had moved all of her belongings to my place without anyone's knowledge) and relax together. Often times, we would listen to music. Rei bought herself a set of acrylic paints and brushes, along with some canvas boards. One day, she asked me to assume my warrior form and pose for her so that she could paint me. I smiled, flattered by the offer.

"Don't make me look bad," I had said.

"Is that even possible?" Rei had asked, a cute smile adorning her features.

So, in the mornings, Rei and I would go into headquarters, and in the afternoon, we would paint together, or sometimes we would make music together. Rei procured a violin, a _Stradivarius_, no less (she never _did_ tell me exactly _how_, now that I think of it), and she would sit and play for me while I would sing for her in my mellow, baritone voice. We joked that we could start up an act and go public. However, both of us _knew_ that we would never actually consider it seriously, even though I "learned" telepathically how to play all of the instruments in the string family during our trip through time. If Rei and I talked to Shinji, all we'd need would be a fourth person and we could all start up a string quartet.

"That would be fun," said Rei one day when I talked about it, "Perhaps we should talk to Shinji when all of this is said and done."

I nodded. I started to smile and then stopped suddenly. Rei sensed my tension and looked up from her painting.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Trouble," I replied, "SEELE has ordered the UN to attack NERV, and the strike teams are almost into place. No, we're too late! The order to attack has been given!"

"We must act," said Rei, "I will go to the aid of the soldiers who are trying to repel the invaders. While I am fighting, you must go and deal with Commander Ikari. This invasion and all of the confusion will provide you with the perfect cover."

"What about Asuka?" I asked, "With her leg still partially out of commission, she won't be able to run or evade the troops."

"I will take her to safety," Rei answered.

"What about the Eva Series?" I asked, "If SEELE fears that they are losing, they will doubtlessly dispatch them to try and turn the tide."

"If we can get Shinji safely to his Evangelion, he can engage the Eva Series and hold them off until we can come to his aid."

"I'll deal with that," I said, "Let's go. Rei, I want you to go 'between' to get to NERV faster. I'll go with you and then fly on ahead to find Shinji."

Rei nodded and grabbed my hand. Three heartbeats later, we were standing in a corridor at NERV Central. It was complete and utter chaos. I arrived in time to see a UN soldier mercilessly shoot an unarmed, helpless NERV tech at point-blank range as the tech lay bleeding on the floor. Enraged, I became the Avenger and drew my flaming sword for the first time. The soldier screamed and fired his pistol at me. My AT Field easily protected me from his measly bullets. As I spread my flaming wings to their fullest width, I sensed Rei wink back "between". She would go and aid other soldiers. I fired a hail of flame darts at the UN soldier. The darts, which looked like flaming feather bullets, burned holes through the soldier wherever they made contact with him. He fell to the floor dead, looking rather like a Swiss cheese.

I took off flying through the corridors. I used my powers to locate Shinji. Rei was moving rapidly, teleporting through the base to find Asuka and take her to safety. I split my concentration to guide Rei to her. Moments later, I sensed Asuka was out of the danger zone. This left me free to find Shinji.

I heard gunfire in the direction of Shinji's location. It wasn't a large rifle or even a group of pistols; it was a single, nine-millimeter sidearm. Misato had come to Shinji's aid and was intent on getting him to the safety of his Eva, as well.

_Good,_ I thought, _I will simply act as a guard and clear their path to the cage._

I sensed the last of the soldier's life forces snuff out. Misato had killed them all. I flew past the fresh corpses and followed closely behind the pair, keeping my senses focused on the corridors in front of them. Unfortunately, doing this left me blind to any threats that were coming from behind them.

A series of rifle shots rang out from a catwalk about a hundred feet above and behind us. Misato shoved Shinji to the safety of the next doorway. However, she was unable to get herself clear and, with a small splatter of blood, caught a bullet in her back. My anger got the better of me again and I turned and flew up to the ledge where the snipers were sitting. The men shook with terror, even as my flaming sword separated their heads from their shoulders. The heavenly fire seared the wounds closed the instant that they were inflicted. I returned to my pursuit of Shinji and the now wounded Misato.

The two of them were standing near an emergency elevator. I willed my form to be invisible to mortal eyes and walked towards them. I heard the end of their conversation:

"That was a grown-up kiss," Misato was saying, "We'll do the rest when you get back, okay?"

"Misato…"

Misato punched a button and the elevator door slid open. Shinji, having been pinned against that self-same door, tumbled backward into the elevator as it slid closed. Misato slumped against the wall and crumpled to the floor. I could sense her heartbeat, it was getting weaker. She would die if I did not act. I made myself visible and walked towards Misato.

"Are you…the Angel of Death…?" Misato asked faintly.

"No, Misato Katsuragi," I said, using her full name to mask my identity, "I am the Angel of Life."

Without another word, I used my AT Field to pull the bullet out of her chest and seal the internal damage that it had inflicted. She would hurt now, but she would live. However, I could not stay to look after her any longer, and she would still need help to stay alive.

_Rei_, I thought, _Bring Makoto Hyuga to me._

_Why?_ she asked in response, _What has happened?_

_Don't question me right now, Rei, just _do_ it!_ I snapped.

A second later, Rei blinked into reality next to me, holding onto the arm of one Makoto Hyuga. He saw Misato lying on the floor, covered in blood, and rushed to her side. Misato would be well cared-for now, I was sure of that. Hyuga loved her enough to die for her, if need be. I knew that feeling.

_Rei,_ I said, _I need you to take me up to the Eva cages now._

_No,_ said Rei, _Now, we must go and deal with Commander Ikari._

_You're right,_ I replied, _Let's go find him._

_I know where he will be,_ said Rei, taking my hand and drawing us "between".

We rematerialized at the entrance to Terminal Dogma. Rei withdrew her wings and assumed her human form and indicated that I should do the same. We walked into the room with the white giant to find Ikari standing there staring up at it. I heard him muttering to himself:

"Where is Rei? She knew that we had planned to meet down here… Where _is_ she?!"

"I apologize for my tardiness, Commander," Rei said in her old, demure tones, "I was delayed by the chaos in Headquarters."

"At least you are here safely now," said Ikari, "And now it is time to fulfill your purpose."

"I do not agree," said Rei, her voice changing slightly.

"What?!" Ikari demanded, "This is why you were _made_! You were created to make a merging vessel for the essences of Adam and Lilith."

"She's not your puppet any longer, Ikari," I said, announcing my presence and stepping into the light. I looked down at the lake of yellow liquid. Floating in it was a head of blond hair and a white lab coat.

_He killed Akagi,_ I thought, _huh. Perhaps she had outlived _her_ usefulness to him, as well._

"What are you doing down here, Pilot Hildreth?" Ikari demanded, "You do not have clearance to be down here."

I released my rage and became the Avenger. Rei became the Guardian and took a step back from Ikari. Ikari balked slightly at these sudden transformations.

"Zophiel," I said, addressing her by name, "Go to Shinji's aid now. We have confronted the Offender as a team, now I shall deal with him in my own way."

Rei nodded and winked out "between". Ikari produced his pistol and emptied a clip at me. Once again, my AT Field was more than a match for the bullets. I switched tactics and used my AT Field as an offensive weapon. I threw it against Ikari like a brick wall. The impact with my Field sent Ikari flying up into the air and backwards about fifty feet.

Ikari lay stunned and helpless on the floor of Terminal Dogma. As I strode across the cold, stone floor, I flexed my fiery wings and watched their angry light flicker on the walls around me. I stood over the crumpled heap that was my former CO and laughed cruelly. The wretched man came to his senses and looked up at me. Despite his attempts to hide it, I could clearly see and sense abject terror behind his arrogant eyes.

"Are you awake, Gendo Ikari?" I asked viciously, "Are you awake enough to scream as judgment is done upon you?"

"What are you, boy?" the old man demanded breathlessly.

"I am the Flaming Sword of Judgment," my deep voice boomed, "I am the Wrath of God. I am Za'afiel."

"Za'afiel," Ikari mumbled, "Why were you never detected? Your AT Field…"

"Was hidden from you," I interrupted coldly, "By the power of My thoughts. Oh yes, you foolish little man, I can read all of your feeble thoughts, your…pathetic schemes. I know them as soon as _you_ know them."

"I was assured that the graft would shield me from any Angelic powers," Ikari growled, "The old men misled me."

"Oh no, Ikari," said I, "The old fools of SEELE did not mislead you. Adam, My brother whom you have embedded in your hand, has the power to shield you from the powers of his brother Angels. However, I am not an Angel. I am a Seraph, and against My power, there is no defense, as the fools of SEELE will soon learn."

"You cannot be a Seraph, Seraphs are just myths," said Ikari. I could sense his mind groping for some way of regaining his precious feeling of control. I laughed, quietly and coldly.

"Do I _look_ like a _myth_ to _you_?!" I boomed suddenly, flaring my wings, "Look upon Me, mortal fool! Look upon Me and despair as your world comes crashing down around your feet!"

Ikari threw his arms up in front of his face, as though trying to shield himself from my fury. I saw, embedded in the palm of his right hand, the embryonic form of my Angelic cousin. I chuckled and swung my flaming sword, severing Ikari's right hand cleanly at the wrist. The stony man's façade crumbled away into agony as he screamed. I walked over to where the severed limb lay and looked down at it.

"Oh, Adam," I sighed as though he were a wayward child, "look how far from grace you have fallen. You have allowed this pathetic man to reduce you to such a pitiful shade of your former form and use you in his ridiculous attempts to play God. You have contented yourself to be used in his ill-conceived plan to end the world. But I will free you, My brother. I will release you from this imprisonment to the blissful realm of entropy. Go and join your brothers, Adam."

With that, I raised my flaming sword and stabbed the hand, reducing it instantly to ash.

"It is done," I said softly, "With the death of Adam, humanity's future is restored."

"NO!" Ikari screamed, "You will not cheat me of seeing my Yui again!"

"You pitiful little man," I said, looking over at him tiredly, "Did you honestly believe that initiating the Third Impact would reunite you with your wife?"

"It is the _only_ way."

"There is _no_ way for you to see her again," I told him coldly, staring deeply into his widening eyes, "I will soon release the soul of Yui Ikari from its imprisonment within Evangelion Unit-01. She will be beyond your reach, Gendo Ikari; forever safe in the bosom of Heaven."

"No!" Ikari gasped desperately, unable to look away from my glowing eyes, "No, you're lying! Rei will still aid me! Rei!"

Hearing Ikari plead for his former doll made my blood boil.

"SILENCE!" I roared, "Enough!"

Ikari cringed with terror. I enjoyed the way he tried to shrink from me, as well as the way my voice reverberated off of the walls in the vast chamber. Even as Ikari shivered with fright, he still could not tear his gaze away from mine.

"You are a dangerous man, Gendo Ikari," I said, my voice a low, rumbling growl, "perhaps too dangerous to let live."

"Then kill me," Ikari replied, "Send me to my Yui's side."

"Were you to die today, Gendo Ikari, I am certain that the Lord would banish you from His sight to the flames of Hell," I said, "However, I also believe that death is far too merciful an end for you, madman. I believe that _life_ is a far greater punishment for you to endure."

"What is there to stop me from ending my own life?" Ikari asked. Anyone else might have been fooled; but not me. I saw through his bluff instantly and laughed coldly again.

"Did you _really_ think that I would not expect your answer?" I asked, "Were you so foolish as to believe that I would allow you to forgo your punishment? Pitiful worm…"

I reached out with my mind and paralyzed Ikari's brain. The only things that his brain could now encompass were his vital processes (breathing, heart beat, etc.), listening, moving his eyes, and speaking. As the paralysis set in, I watched his eyes widen with shock.

"I…cannot…move…" he whispered desperately.

"And you will never move again," I said viciously, "You will never _speak_ again. Your mind will remain forever trapped within your un-aging body, unable to affect the world around you; unable to harm anyone ever again. Does that sound like the perfect Hell to you, Gendo Ikari? It does to Me."

Ikari had no response to make. As I used my telepathic powers to crush his mind, he couldn't even scream. I shut off his vocal cords first so that I wouldn't have to hear him beg for mercy. After a few minutes my task was done. Ikari's body collapsed into a limp heap. I watched a stream of drool run out of the corner of his mouth. I reached out with my mind to touch his and met him inside his head.

_Welcome to your own, private Hell, Gendo Ikari,_ I said, _From now on, you will have all the time in the world to ponder your thoughts. However, for the rest of your eternal life, you will never again be able to _share_ those thoughts._

_This is to great a punishment to bear, Za'afiel,_ Ikari pleaded, _Please, release me! Release me or send me on to Hell, I beg of you! Don't force me to exist this way!_

_Enjoy the rest of your eternity, Gendo Ikari_, I said cruelly. Then, oblivious to the man's pleas, I withdrew from his mind and left him lying there on the floor of Terminal Dogma. As I started to walk away, I was struck by an inspiration; a further way to torment him.

I walked back over and kicked the vegetative Ikari around until he was staring up at the Angel, Lilith, with his unblinking eyes. Now, he would forever stare at the creature he longed to use to return to his wife; his bitterness and hatred driving him quietly mad. His mind would shred itself into chaos as the madness ate at him. I smiled at my own brilliance.

I left Terminal Dogma and flew up through the immense central shaft of NERV until I reached daylight. Waiting for me at the top were my three fellow pilots, as well as Misato and Hyuga. At the forefront of the group was the girl that I had saved and restored to full humanity; Rei. She ran to greet me, her being shining with two ebullient emotions at once. She was overjoyed to see me, and also, at the same time, concerned about why I had been gone so long. I smiled gently at her, furling my wings and drawing my Angelic power down into myself. Once again, my humanity reigned supreme throughout my being. Rei leaped into my arms and held me tightly about the torso. I felt cool tears flowing freely down her face, wetting my shirt.

"Tears?" I asked quietly.

_Tears of joy,_ Rei thought to me, _It seems so silly to weep when you are happy, but I cannot help it. The others all have similar feelings. They were very worried when you could not be contacted when the trouble all started._

_I had to deal with Commander Ikari,_ I said darkly.

_Is the mission complete? _Rei asked, _Did you kill him?_

_I didn't,_ I answered her, _In fact, he'll live forever._

_But you punished him,_ thought Rei.

_Oh yes,_ I responded, _and his punishment is as eternal as his lifespan._

I thought to Rei what I had done to Ikari. As I showed her a mental picture of what Ikari now looked like, Rei gasped with a combination of shock at what I had done, and revulsion at the creature that used to be her "mentor". As the shock wore off, I felt Rei's agreement to my proclamation that this was justice for all of the misery that Ikari had inflicted upon countless others. She kissed me on the cheek.

"When you emerged from Dogma, just now, you looked magnificent," she said in her dulcet tones.

"Thanks," I said graciously, "And you know…Whenever you just _stand_ there, like you're doing now, _you_ look _equally _as magnificent."

Rei blushed. Asuka walked over, making exaggerated retching and gagging sounds. I laughed.

"What's wrong with you, Red?"

"I'm gonna _puke_ from how _cute_ the two of you are acting right now, _that's_ what," Asuka replied.

"And, of course, you and Shinji _never_ act this way with each other," I said sarcastically.

"Of course we don't!" Asuka replied seriously, as well as a little indignantly.

"Don't you believe it!" Misato shouted teasingly, leaning hard on Hyuga's shoulder, "It's only been a couple of weeks and I've already caught them snuggling and cuddling on the couch and in their _beds_ more times than I care to _count_!"

I gave a quiet snort of laughter.

"It's so cute though," Misato continued, "Especially the way Asuka runs her fingers through Shinji's hair and coos at him in that German baby-talk…"

Asuka started sputtering with anger and embarrassment and Shinji blushed brilliantly as Misato chuckled wickedly. Rei even giggled a little bit and that set me off. I couldn't help but laugh heartily at how easily flustered the red-head was. Misato grimaced, the wound in her back paining her.

"How is she?" I asked.

"You know, it's weird," said Hyuga, "I can't find an exit wound, but there's no bullet in her. The only wound she's got is the entrance wound. It's like the bullet just…disappeared."

_Would you have had anything to do with this, Andrew?_ Rei asked, knowing the answer full well.

_She was dying, Rei,_ I replied, _I have a duty to protect life, and I knew that I could save her. She'll never know that it was actually me._

"So, Misato's gonna be all right?" Shinji asked anxiously.

"It'll take more than a phantom bullet to kill me off," Misato said bravely.

_Rei,_ I thought, _What about the Eva series?_

_They were not dispatched,_ Rei replied, _Perhaps—_

_Wait,_ I interrupted, _They are coming. I can sense them._

High in the clouds above us, drawing nearer, I could sense the nine, white, evil Evangelions. Resolve took hold of me. I realized that the first step to destroying SEELE would be to destroy their pet Evangelions and totally remove their power from the world.

"Shinji," I said, "get to Unit-01. I'll try to get to Unit-04 and back you up."

_Rei,_ I said, _Get Misato and Hyuga to safety. Then wait for me to reappear. We are going to destroy those Evangelions with or without Shinji's help._

_It will be done,_ Rei replied. Then, she stepped over to Misato and Hyuga. I extended my will and implanted false memories that would make them think that they were at whatever destination Rei took them to the whole time and had not left it. That would cover her until I could reappear.

As soon as Rei was gone with Misato and Makoto, I converted to Avenger form and flew to the Eva cages. I faced my brother's prison with a grim face. I knew that I could do one of two things: One, I could climb inside him one last time and fight, or two, I could release him and be done with it.

_Lee,_ I said, placing my hand on the cold metal, _I know that you can hear me, so I want this to be your choice. I can release you to Heaven where you belong, or I can climb inside this Eva and we can fight together one last time. The Eva series is coming, and one way or another, I am going to help Shinji fight before I release the soul of his mother from Unit-01. What do you wish, brother?_

_Do what you will, bud,_ Lee replied, _I'd kinda like to go on and see what Heaven's like. I hear it's pretty nice._

"By the Power given to Me by the Lord God," I said aloud in my strong voice, "I release you, Lee Hildreth, from your imprisonment within this Evangelion."

Then, in a softer, tearful voice, I added:

"I'll see you later, Lee…"

I quickly channeled my brother's soul out of Unit-04 and off to Heaven. The light in Unit-04's eyes died out. It was now just an empty husk; a piece of scrap metal and flesh. I found that the sight of it sickened me. In a fit of vengeful rage, I unleashed a massive wave of Heavenly fire, incinerating the empty Evangelion and destroying, once and for all, my brother's prison. Once the husk was burned, I nodded grimly and flew off to join the fray that I sensed outside.

**A.N.: Well, readers, this was kind of an emotional, yet extremely satisfying chapter to write, I must say. I know it came out a little quicker, but that was because I've had part of it (Gendo the Bastard King's punishment) written ahead of time for a few months now. I just couldn't resist writing a fitting punishment for him, and that was the best one I could think of. Please, don't hesitate to let me know what you thought. I love the attention :).**

**Andrew**


	17. The Mother

Chapter 17

I emerged above ground to find Shinji fighting valiantly against the nine white Evas. I was immediately grossed out by them because of their creepy, bright red lips that made them look like…I don't know, transvestites, or something. They were easily thirty times my size, but I had the _power_.

I hurtled through the air at the nearest Unit, blasting flame bolts and swinging my sword. The Eva tried to swat at me with its giant hand, only to have it severed at the wrist. Still it tried to hit me with its stump, as well as its other hand. Then, all it had were stumps for hands, as I severed the other hand as soon as it reached for me. I could sense a second Evangelion approaching me from behind. As I was about to move to evade it, the Evangelion's attention was drawn by something else: Rei.

_Rei, what are you doing?_ I asked, _You're a _Guardian_, you don't _fight_._

_Part of being a Guardian is _guarding_ people,_ Rei said, drawing an icy sword from thin air, _To do that, often times, battle must be joined by those who do not normally fight. Besides that, you and Shinji need all the help you can get._

_They can't hurt me,_ I said, _So don't worry about it._

_I am more worried about Shinji,_ Rei said, _I know that the Eva Series cannot hurt _you_, but they _can_ hurt _him.

I had to admit the truth of that. As Rei was distracted by talking with me, she did not notice the Eva Unit approaching her until it was too late to avoid its hand. The white monster grabbed Rei and attempted to squeeze her to death. Of course, now that her powers were fully developed, her AT Field would be suitable to protect her from harm. However, she was immobilized and unable to fight back.

"Let—go—of—Her!" I shouted, using my AT Field to sever the Eva's arm at the shoulder.

"Much obliged, darling!" Rei replied as the hand released her. I was stunned momentarily. Rei had never used those kind of pet-names before, even during our trip through history when we had grown very close.

An Eva took advantage of my moment of distraction and slammed me with its fist, driving me into the ground. I emerged from the impact crater I had created dirty, sore, scraped up, and extremely miffed. After brushing the dirt off of my shirt, I unleashed another wave of Angel Fire, searing my attacker until it dropped to the ground, charred black as coal. Then, I took off and flew to Shinji's aid. He was currently being double-teamed by a pair of white Units.

I aimed a flame blast at one of them, searing its back and drawing its attention to me. Doing this left Shinji fighting one-on-one with the other; much better odds for him. I flew in close to my opponent and slashed at its throat. A few slices later, the Eva's head parted ways with its shoulders. I sensed an evil spirit depart for Hell.

_Rei!_ I shouted mentally, _Aim for their heads! Cut them off and the Evas will die!_

"_Shinji Ikari!_" I shouted, both physically and mentally, "_Command your Evangelion to destroy your opponents' heads! It is the only way that they may be killed._"

I sensed that Shinji understood my plan. I returned my full attention to the melee that surrounded me. Long minutes passed. None of the Eva Series Units were connected to umbilical lines, but they did not power down. I sensed production model S2 engines within them. These Evas were more like unto Angels than their predecessors, right down to their lust for blood and death.

The battle raged for nearly twenty minutes. Unit-01 and the S2 engine that it had absorbed from the Fourteenth Angel were able to fight for as long as the white Evas were. The only difference was that Shinji began to get tired after the first ten minutes or so. Even with Rei and I to guard and protect him, Unit-01 suffered massive damage. It would no longer be useful, even if there were still Angels left to defeat.

When the last Eva Series Unit was destroyed, Rei and I landed and resumed our human forms. Instead of returning to the cage, Shinji simply ejected from Unit-01 and landed on the ground. He looked up at his badly damaged Eva with sorrow in his eyes.

"You know that she can never be used again, don't you?" I asked.

"Yeah," Shinji whispered, his voice muted by tears, "I know."

"My Eva was destroyed," I said, masking why I had not brought it out, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you fight."

"I still had help," Shinji said.

"I _did_ see two large birds flying around the Eva Series Units," I said, trying to sound ignorant, "What were they?"

"They weren't birds," Shinji said, turning to face me, "They were Angels."

"You mean…"

"Not the kind we are supposed to fight," Shinji said, shaking his head, "I mean like, true messengers of God; _real_ Angels, the good kind. They helped me and protected me."

Rei and I both smiled. It did our hearts good to hear such faith in God from a boy who had endured so much heartache in his life. It proved that there was still vitality in the human spirit.

_Should we tell him?_ I asked.

_Is it allowed for us to reveal our true selves?_ Rei asked in return.

_Shouldn't that be _our_ decision?_ I asked.

"Shinji," I said, making my decision, "There's something I need to tell you, and it has to stay just between you, me and Rei."

"What's up?" Shinji asked.

"Well, it's about Rei and me," I said slowly.

"Did you two…?" Shinji started to say, then trailed off. I didn't even need to read his thoughts to know what he was implying.

"No, no!" I said, waving my hands, "No, we haven't slept together—,"

_Yet,_ I thought to myself as Shinji breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

"—we've just got a secret that we'd like to share with you," I continued, "You see…Rei and I know what those things were that were helping you."

"You do?" Shinji asked, "What were they?"

I paused, suddenly considering lying and trying to conceal our identities. I overrode that impulse and plowed ahead.

"It…was us," I said hesitantly, "We were those Angels."

"No, seriously," Shinji said, not believing me, "what _were_ those things?"

"It was us, Shinji," said Rei, "Don't you believe us?"

"I'm having a hard time of it, Rei," Shinji admitted, "I mean, if you two were Angels all this time, why haven't you used your powers to fight, instead of leaving it up to the Evas?"

"It's hard to explain, Shinji," I said, frustrated at Shinji's suddenly lacking faith, "Yes, Rei and I are Angels, of a sort, but we haven't been like this all along."

"Then for how long?" Shinji asked.

"I've been like this, that is, an Angel, since the battle with the Fifteenth," I said, "Ever since that time, I've been hiding my abilities from everyone around me. Everyone, that is, except Rei. In her, I sensed a spirit not dissimilar from my own. I sensed that she had within her latent, preternatural powers that needed merely to be unlocked. I was right. However, before her powers could _be_ unlocked, she detonated Unit-00, killing herself."

"But she didn't die," Shinji said, "She's standing right here _with_ us."

"This isn't the same Rei Ayanami," I said, shaking my head, "This is merely a clone of her, made by your father. Before the previous Rei Ayanami killed herself, I made a telepathic copy of her mind, memories and emotions, so that I might copy them into the next available body and bring her back from the dead."

"You're not…Rei?" Shinji asked, looking over at Rei. Confusion was most prevalent on his face as he looked.

"I am Rei Ayanami," she replied, "But, at the same time…I am also _not_ Rei Ayanami."

"I'm confused," Shinji whined.

"What is it that makes a person who they are?" Rei asked, trying to explain it to him, "Is it their appearance? Their behavior? Their ethics and beliefs? Or is it something simpler? Is what makes a person who they are nothing more than their memories and personal thoughts?"

Shinji was silent for a long time. Rei continued:

"Yes, my body was cloned from the first Rei Ayanami, but so was her body also cloned from a _previous_ Rei Ayanami. I am the third in a line of clones, all of whom are sprung from the genetic material of the Demon-mother Lilith and your mother, Shinji."

"Mom…?" Shinji asked faintly, "You're…a clone of…my mom?"

"Only a very small part of me is actually derived from the genes of Yui Ikari," Rei said, "The rest is flesh from the Demon Queen."

"This is all too crazy to be believed," said Shinji stumbling backwards and leaning on his entry plug for support.

"Then, can you believe your own eyes?" I asked. I nodded to Rei.

The two of us released our Seraphic splendor and showed Shinji our true natures. His eyes widened, and then he fell to his knees. I felt bewildered at his sudden action. This boy just couldn't make up his mind between faith and doubt!

"Do you believe now, Shinji Ikari?" I asked deeply.

"I do," Shinji replied quietly. He raised his head and stared at us. I saw wonder in the young man's eyes.

"You two are…beautiful," Shinji whispered slowly.

"Now that you have seen us, Shinji, you must promise never to reveal our true natures to anyone else," I said seriously, "Rei and I have been given a mission by the Lord, and if our natures became publicly known, it would compromise that mission. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Shinji answered.

"Thank you, Shinji," said Rei, "Now, we have something else that we must tell you."

_What are you doing, Rei?_ I asked.

_Telling Shinji the truth about his mother,_ Rei answered, _He deserves that closure._

Before I could argue further, Rei spoke:

"Shinji," she said, "Your mother did not die that day, all those years ago."

"What?" he asked.

"Your mother, Yui Ikari, was absorbed by the Evangelion Test Model, now called Unit-01," Rei said, "Her soul is currently a captive within its metal shell."

"Can she be let out?"

"Yes," I replied, "I can release her, but only to Heaven, where she belongs."

"But…you're Angels," Shinji protested desperately, "Can't you use your powers to give her…a new body or something?"

"I wish that there were some way for us to do that," I said sadly, shaking my head, "But creation is beyond the extent of our power. The power to create vessels for holding living souls rests only with the Almighty. As much as it hurts me to tell you this, without a vessel, a body, to place her soul in, your mother cannot be returned to this world. She must go on to Heaven."

Shinji started crying softly. I had expected it, to be honest. Rei's revelation would be painful to anyone. To be so near to a loved one that you had thought lost, only to find them again and have to say goodbye all over again…that was the most painful thing that a person could possibly endure. And I knew; I had just felt the same way with my own brother.

_I didn't mean to hurt him so badly,_ Rei thought, dejected and worried, _I just…wanted him to know the truth._

_I know,_ I replied seriously, _You just haven't quite re-learned the art of tact when dealing with other people yet, that's all._

_What should we do?_ Rei asked, _You can't just erase his remorse. That is a violation of our Code._

_I know that,_ I said, _I can't and won't alter Shinji's mind. But there must be some way to…Wait. Rei, do you know if Ikari kept any more clones of you anywhere? You know, like a reserve supply?_

_I…suppose that he would have, since it takes time to grow a mature clone, _Rei answered, sounding confused about my question, _Why do you ask?_

_You'll see,_ I said, a plan forming rapidly in my head, _I'll be back shortly._

I spread my wings and took off, bound for Terminal Dogma. A few short minutes later, I walked back over to the vegetative form of Ikari. I reached out and touched his mind.

_Ikari,_ I said, _I would have information from you._

_What would you like to know, Za'afiel?_ Ikari asked, sounding both bored and insane.

_Where do you keep your clones?_

_My what?_ Ikari asked coyly.

_Clones, you foolish man!_ I shouted angrily, _Clones of Rei Ayanami. I know that you have reserve copies of them somewhere, where _are_ they?_

_And why do you want to know?_

_Suffice it to say that I want to know,_ I growled, _Now, will you tell me willingly, or will I have to extract the information by force?_

Silence.

_Very well,_ I said, _You've made your choice._

I poured my power into Ikari's head and picked his brain by force. He tried to resist, but there was absolutely no way for him to stop me. I found out what I wanted to know and left, bound for one of the lowest, most secret levels of Central Dogma.

When I got there, I faced a locked vault door. A regular hacker would need at least a day to break the codes and force his way through the door. However, a telepath who could extract information on all of the bypass codes and shortcuts from his victim could do it in no time at all.

I passed through door after door, winding my way through rooms that contained gigantic skeletons. These, I realized, were the failed experimental prototypes of the Evangelions. I unleashed my Fire and scoured the room clear of any evidence of the giants. I moved on, finding a room that looked very barren and desolate; not unlike the way Rei's apartment had looked when I helped her clandestinely move out of it and into my apartment. My empathic senses detected the history of the room.

This was where Rei Ayanami, the very first one, had been born and raised. This was the place where she had been programmed by Ikari for total obedience. I crashed through the room and wrecked it thoroughly. I turned over the bed, and smashed everything that wasn't attached to the walls. Vengeance for Rei would be mine, and I would exact it on every instance of her past.

I finally came to the room I wanted to see. It started out as a dark, circular room. I picked up a remote that I found lying on the floor and pressed a button. The walls of the room dropped away, revealing a massive aquarium-style tank full of LCL. And LCL wasn't the only thing in the tank.

Floating in the yellowish liquid were about a hundred girls who all looked exactly like Rei. Only…they _weren't_ Rei. These things had no minds, no memories, no souls, nothing that made them anything except spare bodies.

_Spare bodies,_ I thought, _Spare bodies with the appearance of one whom I love, and who bear the genes of one that Shinji misses. Rei…_

_Yes?_ she replied telepathically.

_Come to me,_ I said, _I need your help._

In an instant, Rei was by my side. I heard her gasp as she appeared.

"Do you know what this is?" I asked, indicating the room we were in.

"They are…me…"

"No," I answered sternly, "They are just empty _copies_ of you. However, they do possess the same features, form, and _genetics_ as you. They are, in effect, your sisters."

"Sisters…?" Rei asked faintly, "How…how can this help us?"

"They share your being, Rei," I said, "That means that you can manipulate their forms and appearance, even as you may change your own appearance to whatever form you may desire."

"And that means…"

"Yes," I said, nodding thoughtfully, "You can change their shape into a form that might resemble Shinji's lost mother. However, by records, Yui Ikari is dead. That means that she cannot come back in her original form. This does _not_ mean, though, that she may not come back as Shinji's long-lost cousin or sister and help to take care of him and Asuka, if you catch my meaning."

"You mean, you want me to make one of my copies into a form that would allow Yui Ikari's soul to come back to this world and watch over her son?" Rei asked.

"Precisely," I answered, "What do you say?"

"It feels…slightly perverse for me to have another of me walking about on this earth at the same time that I am," Rei said, her tone uneasy.

"But she would not be _you_, Rei," I said, "She would be whoever Yui decides to call herself. She can no longer call herself Yui Ikari, and she cannot call this form Rei Ayanami, for that name is yours, but she can choose a name for herself that would allow her to be near her son again, and we can provide her the physical means of being with him."

"This is a very bold plan you've concocted," said Rei.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a winning smile, "Now, can you go in there and extract one of the clones?"

"I will not enjoy it, but yes, I can," Rei answered.

"Then let's get to it," I said briskly.

Rei winked "between" and emerged with one of her clones. The naked girl looked at her surroundings and then at me and said:

"You are not Commander Ikari, who are you?"

"Ikari will not be joining us," I answered, "I am Za'afiel. Who are you?"

"Rei Ayanami," the clone answered.

"No," Rei rebuked the clone, "You are not. I am Rei Ayanami. I hold her soul and her memories. You are nothing but an empty vessel, something to be shaped into something of value."

"I am not…Rei Ayanami?" the clone asked, sounding dully confused.

"No," I said, "You are not. But you will become someone when I implant a soul into you. All I require is the permission of that soul to be implanted within your form."

"Very well," the clone said.

"Rei," I said, "take me up to Unit-01."

Rei placed her hand on my shoulder and took us "between". A heartbeat later, we were topside with Shinji and his purple mech. I stared into his face as he looked at me with questions in his eyes.

"Shinji," I said, "I have found a way for your mother to be returned to this world as a mortal. She will not be Yui Ikari, for that person is dead. However, she will choose a new name for herself and be a new person. She will be either your sister, or your cousin, for her soul will be placed in a cloned body of Rei. The clone has already been awakened; all that remains is for me to remove your mother's soul from Unit-01."

"Will I still be able to pilot it?"

"No," I answered, "Once the soul is gone, the Evangelion is useless. Not only that, but your Evangelion is too badly damaged to continue operation. It is a mercy for me to remove your mother's soul from its imprisonment and place her in a new body. Rei can then shape that body's form into whatever shape your mother would desire her new body to look like. Again, she would not be your mother anymore, but she would have all of your mother's memories, feelings, and experiences. Genetically, she would be your sister, but emotionally, she would still act like a motherly figure to you. Does that sound acceptable?"

"Mom's…coming back…?" Shinji asked. I could sense his feelings. He wanted to believe that she was coming back, but didn't want to risk getting his hopes up for fear that they would be dashed.

"Yes, Shinji," Rei said with a gentle smile, "She is coming back to you in another form. You will learn to call her by her name, and be both her family and her friend."

I flew up and placed my hand on the metal face of Eva Unit-01. I entered into the Astral Plane between our minds and contacted Yui's thoughts.

_It's you again,_ she thought to me, _the boy who came in and took my son back to the world. But you are different, now. You have grown far more powerful than you were._

_I have a proposition for you, Yui Ikari,_ I said, _I have found a way to return you to the Mortal Plane._

There was a silence as what I had spoken sank in.

_I have found you a new body._

_But…that body would have to be without a soul, _said Yui, _Where did you find a living body without a soul?_

_Ask your former husband,_ I replied, _It was through his…generosity…that I found your new body. There is a sort of holding tank in the bowels of Central Dogma that holds cloned bodies of a certain girl._

_The one you call Ayanami._

_Correct,_ I replied, _However, the _real_ Rei Ayanami is the one who holds her soul. Any of the rest of the clones are merely spare parts, of a sort. That, unfortunately, is all that Gendo Ikari ever used them for. I have awakened one of these empty vessels and prepared her to accept your soul._

_How will you be able to tell me apart from the real Rei Ayanami?_ Yui asked.

_Since the clone shares the essence of Rei's being, Rei is able to bend its appearance in any way that she, or you, might desire. Once the change to suit you is made, though, that change is permanent, and you will be stuck with the first body you choose. Any questions?_

_Why should I question a second chance at life with my son?_ Yui asked.

_Because he would no longer be your son,_ I answered. Yui gasped.

_You can never go back to your old life,_ I said sadly, _Yui Ikari is dead. However, you can start a new life as the sister he never knew he had, or his cousin; whichever you would prefer to call yourself. You may still love him and help to care for him, but only as a sisterly figure. You may still love him as a mother, but you must quell those matronly impulses, difficult as that may be for you. Do you understand?_

_I do._

_And you still wish to return to mortality?_

_I do,_ Yui replied.

_Take my hand, then, Yui Ikari, _said I, _Follow me back to the light._

My Astral form reached out his hand and took Yui's Astral hand. From the ground, what Shinji would have seen was my Angelic form guiding a being made of pure light away from Unit-01. We dove through the doors to Central Dogma, with Rei close behind us.

We came, at last to Central Dogma; the place that was called the Room of Gauf. Standing there, blithely unaware, was the cloned body. I reached out and contacted the clone's flesh. Doing this allowed me to channel Yui's soul into the body of cloned vessel. After the Yui's soul was established, I contacted Rei and had her come down to join us.

"Is she established, then?" Rei asked.

"She is," I replied, "and she's awaiting your power to change her form. I will hold each of your hands and act as a telepathic medium between you. Rei, you will also hold _her_ other hand with yours so that you may alter her form with your powers. Are you ready?"

Rei nodded. I looked over at the body that now held Yui's soul. She nodded. Rei took my left hand and Yui's right hand and I took Yui's left. The three of us stood in a circle and concentrated. I kept my own awareness out of the picture as Rei and Yui spoke. I was merely a conduit for their conversation. I felt the skin on Yui's hand shiver and convulse as it changed its form and shape. Minutes later, we opened our eyes. I looked to my left and saw Rei smiling with satisfaction. Quickly, I looked over at Yui. My jaw dropped to the floor.

She was absolutely _beautiful_, to say the very least! She looked to be about twenty-one years old, had gorgeous, shoulder-length, all-natural, sapphire-blue hair and eyes that looked like deep pools of water. A quick, chaste glance down to her nether regions confirmed that her hair color was, indeed, natural. I looked back up at her and decided that modesty was a must.

"We'll be right back, Yui," I said.

"My name isn't Yui, anymore," said the woman, "My name is Grace now."

"Grace," I echoed, "How did you come to decide on that name?"

"It was through _your_ grace that I was able to come back to this world," Grace explained, "I thought it only fitting that my new name reflects that gift."

I smiled as I took Rei's hand. We went "between", bound for Misato's apartment. Once there, I "borrowed" one of Misato's shirts and one of her skirts. Unfortunately, without any kind of measurements, I couldn't get Grace any kind of undergarments. However, she wouldn't be in these clothes for too awfully long, since I knew that she would quickly find clothes of her own to replace them. We returned to Terminal Dogma.

"Here, Grace," I said, handing her the borrowed clothing, "This should suffice for now until we can find you some clothes of your own. I'm sure Misato won't mind _too_ much loaning it out. After all, it _is_ for a good cause."

"Thank you, my lord Angel," said Grace thankfully. She pulled on the clothing and turned about, looking at her reflection in the aquarium tank. She saw the clones floating there and grimaced.

"Isn't there some way we can release those…things?" she asked, "They just seem so…miserable there."

_Miserable, she says,_ I thought, _And yet every single one of those clones is smiling most serenely. However, they have no purpose, nor reason for existing. And, rather than see them forever trapped in Limbo, perhaps I should destroy them._

I exerted my powers over the LCL in the tank and subtly changed part of the chemical make-up. I changed part of it to make it into a powerful toxin. Now, as they breathed it in, the clones would quickly die. I signaled for Rei to take us back up topside. Shinji noticed us reappear and gaped at the girl with us.

"Who…are you?" he asked.

"Don't you remember?" Grace asked, "I'm your long-lost sister."

"I…don't have a sister…" Shinji said slowly, not understanding.

"Yes you do, Shinji," I said, trying to sell the cover story without having to psychically alter Shinji's memories, "Your father never told you about her because she's actually the child of a woman that he loved before he met your mother. That other woman won the custody hearing when they split up, and now your half-sister wants to get to know you. Her name is Grace."

_Brilliant cover story,_ Rei said proudly, _I think, perhaps, that Shinji will believe it. However, I do hope that she does not give away her true identity by spouting off too many things that only his mother would know._

_I don't think we have to worry about that,_ I assured her, _Yui was a smart woman. She'll know how far to go and what things to not reveal; even accidentally._

_I certainly hope you're right._

Shinji and Grace were now hugging in a welcoming, sibling way. Grace was smiling ecstatically, while Shinji had a very tranquil look on his face. I could hear his thoughts:

_I've got other family. I'm not alone. I've got…a sister…_

I was almost ready to cry, I was so happy for the boy. I felt like an older brother watching his little brother grow up. I wondered if that was ever how Lee felt about me, some days.

_I'll have to ask him sometime,_ I resolved.

**A.N.: Phew! Another update finally done! Sorry it's taking so long for this story, but not only is school hell, I really want this story to turn out right, so I'm trying to take my time and do it right. This chapter had some poignant undertones, as well, but I like writing that style right now. It's satisfying. As always, please drop me a review and let me know what you thought!**


	18. The Fallen Angel

Chapter 18

"I don't think it is safe enough for us to leave you alone, yet," I said, "I can still sense some battles going on inside of NERV. If any of those troops find you, Shinji, they will most assuredly try to kill you again."

"I think that we would be most useful in the battles," said Rei, "Those men and women need our help more than these two, at the moment."

"Yeah, just go," said Grace, "We'll be fine here for now."

"Don't go anywhere," I cautioned, "Wait for us to return and inform you that the last of the invaders have been driven out."

"Got it," said Shinji.

Rei took us "between" and followed my thoughts to the nearest battle zone. In this one, there were half a dozen NERV techs and personnel trying to fight off almost thirty JSSDF troops. (Upon closer inspection of one of the soldiers' armor and tags, I realized that it was, indeed, the JSSDF, not the UN attacking NERV.)

"Look at that!" one of the NERV techs cried upon sighting Rei and me.

"What the hell?!" shouted one of the enemy soldiers.

"Shoot them!" ordered another of the soldiers.

The JSSDF troops let loose with a barrage of small arms fire from assault rifles, submachine guns, and sidearms. Of course, none of it did any good. I projected my voice in an echoing laughter. The soldiers didn't move, but I could see them shaking with fear. Thoughts that ran through their minds ranged from "how the hell did they survive that barrage" to "holy shit, these things are gonna kill us! I want my mommy!"

_Rei, find another group and help them,_ I thought to her, _I'll deal with these men._

_Don't have _too_ much fun_, Rei teased. Then, she blinked out "between".

I smiled cruelly. The men turned tail and tried to run. I projected my AT Field across the corridor in front of them, trapping them like pigs in a slaughter house. I turned to the NERV techs.

"_Run_."

The techs didn't need to be told twice. They turned about and dashed away down the other end of the corridor. The hapless JSSDF troops pounded uselessly against the impenetrable wall in front of them. Sensing the futility of it, one of the soldiers drew a combat knife from his belt and charged at me. I actually allowed him to stab at me before I severed his hand with my sword. His other hand followed shortly thereafter, followed by his arms at the shoulders, and then his legs at the knees. His screams were terrible. Finally, just to shut him up, I cleft his body in twain from skull to crotch.

The other soldiers watched the brutality of this demon before them and screamed helplessly into their radios for backup. As I flew into them, they tried to scatter. Only a few seconds elapsed before they, too, lay in pieces at my feet. I flew off down the corridor, intent on finding other troops to deal with. Perhaps some of them would be forthcoming with the secret meeting location of SEELE.

_Unless, like good little cowards, they don't meet in person,_ I thought, _They probably just do conference calls to meet._

My musings came to an end as I came across another group of JSSDF troops. This group was wiring up a door with plastic explosive. Inside the room, I could sense terrified thoughts of several female NERV technicians. They knew what would happen if the troops caught them; rape, torture, and then death. The thoughts of the troops were a confirmation of that fear. I could sense lust and intent to murder.

My blood boiled with fresh rage. I wondered where all of this wrath was coming from as I slew the soldiers. It wasn't my own anger, this I knew. Frankly, I didn't give a damn about the thoughts of these men. They meant nothing to me. However, a few possibilities came to my mind about where my wrath was stemming from.

One, the rage could be part of my station as Avenger. As Avenger, I was charged with punishing the sins of men, and lust was one of the Deadly Sins. What confused me, though, was the fact that wrath is also a Deadly Sin, and my name was the Wrath of God. That was a contradiction in terms, I thought.

Another possibility was that it was merely my position as an Angel. Angels, for the most part, were compassionate creatures who loved all of God's creation and would take great offense to the mistreatment thereof. Whatever the reason, my blood burned with righteous fury as I slaughtered the lustful men. I flew on, leaving the frightened techs to make their escape to a less dangerous area of the base.

I followed the rapport I shared with Rei to find her in a large storage room, facing off against a small battalion of heavily armed soldiers. When I say heavily armed, I mean _heavily armed_ these were shock-troops, armed with high explosives; grenade cannons, rocket launchers, large caliber miniguns, and roll after roll of plastic explosive. I even saw one of the troops carrying a flamethrower cannon on his back.

As I came flying into the room, he unholstered the flamethrower and brought it to bear on Rei's back. Fire erupted from the nozzle of the weapon. Immediately, I concentrated on the flame. It halted in mid-air, just as I was picturing it doing. I wheeled my hands over and over in the empty air. The flame followed my movements, forming a fiery pinwheel in mid-air. With a slashing motion of my hands, I sent this disk of death hurtling back towards its caster. The flames ignited the soldier's fuel tank, causing it to explode and instantly incinerate the soldier.

Rei turned at the sound of his screams and saw him engulfed in flame. She looked up and saw me floating in midair. Quickly she put two and two together and winked at me.

_Thank you,_ she thought to me, _Even though you and I _both_ know that he couldn't have hurt me, thank you. It's sweet to know that you care enough to protect me even when I don't _need_ protecting._

_Rei,_ I said, _when this is all said and done and we have eliminated SEELE, I think we ought to sit down and discuss how we _really _feel about each other._

_I agree._

Rei and I swept through the remainder of NERV headquarters, eliminating the remainder of the JSSDF strike force. I did a telepathic head-count of NERV's personnel. Nearly two hundred people had been slaughtered by the strike teams. However, all of the major personnel (apart from Dr. Akagi and Commander Ikari, of course), had escaped relatively unharmed. One of the bridge techs, Shigeru Aolba, had suffered a gunshot to his shoulder, but he would survive. I had an idea.

_Rei,_ I said, _take us to the bridge._

Rei and I went "between" and emerged on the main observation bridge. A commotion immediately started, and the techs began to panic, fearing a new attack. I spread my arms non-threateningly and said loudly:

"There is no need to fear. We have not come to harm you. We are Seraphs, sent by the Lord God to protect and avenge you. We require only information of you."

"What do you need to know?" Commander Fuyutski asked.

"We need to know the radio frequency used by the strike teams that attacked you," I replied, "Using that frequency, we will track down whoever ordered the strike against you and exact retribution against them directly. But for now, rest easy. Your base has been cleared of all hostile entities. Begin rebuilding. We are here to protect you."

"We don't know their radio frequency!" Ibuki shouted.

"Just take one of their radios," said Aolba, wincing in pain from his bullet wound, "You ought to be able to track them that way."

_I was hoping someone would have the sense to suggest that,_ I thought, _Rei, take us topside._

A few heartbeats later, Rei and I were standing with Shinji and Grace again. Shinji noticed us appear and came running over. He looked at me eagerly.

"What?" I asked.

"Is everyone all right?" he demanded.

"What do you care about them?" Asuka asked, a little bit of her old harshness showing through, "All they ever did was expect you to act like a good little soldier-boy and fight for them."

"Now, Asuka, you're being unfair," I scolded. I had completely forgotten that she hadn't been taken with Misato and Hyuga, "Shinji did have friends among the techs. There is no need to be jealous of his attention and concern for them. He loves you most of all, and that should be enough for you."

"I guess so," the red-head sighed, "So, Shinji; you never _did_ tell me who the new 'bluette' in town is."

"This is my…sister, Grace," Shinji said hesitantly.

"You don't _have_ a sister," said Asuka.

"I guess I do," Shinji replied, "Well, _half-_sister, anyways. She's my father's daughter to a different woman; one he knew before he met my mother."

"You must be Asuka," Grace said cheerfully, "Shinji's already told me so much about you that I feel like I've known you for a long time. How long have the two of you been friends?"

_We should make a hasty exit,_ I suggested.

_I agree._

I thought it best that we left the three of them alone to hash things out. Rei and I returned to my apartment, intent on having that long talk. However, as soon as we appeared into my kitchen, my danger senses went off the scale.

_Rei, get us out of here, NOW!_

An instant later, the apartment building detonated, reducing it to rubble and ash. As Rei and I appeared on the sidewalk across the street, I panicked.

"Rei, where did you take Misato and Hyuga?!" I asked hurriedly.

"I took them to the infirmary wing of NERV," Rei answered calmly, "I thought it would make for a reasonable cover-up for why Misato had a bullet wound."

I breathed an enormous sigh of relief. That relief was short-lived, as I doubled over in pain from a sense of immense evil approaching. The pain was such that I actually collapsed to the ground and writhed around. I had not been in that much pain since I had first sensed the Fourteenth Angel all those weeks ago.

_What is it?_ Rei asked, concerned.

_Something…big is coming, Rei,_ I gasped mentally, _I think…I think SEELE is coming to deal with us, themselves._

Wave after wave of malevolence washed over me. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of anger and hate. Rei's contact with my hand was my only anchor in the maelstrom. I mentally clung to her, desperate for her support. Suddenly, the pain stopped.

"They're here," I whispered weakly.

Several loud bangs went off, each accompanied by a bright flash of light. Despite the leftover migraine, I shook my head. The evil conflagration that controlled the world had a flair for the theatrical. They were really trying to make an impressive entrance. There were at least twelve people, all wearing heavy, hooded robes, standing in a circle around Rei and me. They spoke in unison:

"We are SEELE. You have become a nuisance, Angel, one which must be dealt with. Prepare to die."

"Wow," I grunted as I stood up, "A big, flashy entrance, _mysterious_ hooded cloaks, and a rehearsed, cliché speech…hmm…impressive; NOT! Come on, how _gullible_ do you really think we _are_? People like you don't come to deal with your problems yourselves, you send underlings to do it for you."

One of the cloaked figures reached up and pulled back his hood. From beneath it emerged an old man's face. He had silver-white hair, a long, hooked nose, and deeply lined features. His eyes were hidden behind a red visor. His voice creaked as he spoke.

"I am Keel," said the man, "I am the Chairman of this Council. I suppose you know a little bit about us, do you?"

"I know that you have aspirations of world annihilation," I answered.

"We seek only to bring the world together through Instrumentality," Keel said, "Through this oneness, we shall reenter the paradise that was lost to us eons ago."

"You poor, sad, deluded little man," I sighed, still not taking him seriously, "You really _do_ have delusions of godhood, don't you?"

"_Delusions_?!" Keel barked angrily, all creakiness gone from his voice, "I was once as _high_ as God! The Power and the right were Mine! _He_ was afraid and _jealous_ of Me, so he kicked Me and My followers out of Heaven!"

"Your…followers…?" Rei repeated.

_Who _is_ this man?_ I wondered, _Perhaps I should find out…_

I reached out with my telepathic abilities, trying to probe Keel's thoughts. I was blocked! I tried harder, but to no avail. I was unable to read Keel's mind.

_What's wrong?_ Rei asked, sensing my confusion.

_I can't read his thoughts,_ I replied anxiously, _He's actually _blocking _me!_

_That's impossible!_ Rei gasped, _There isn't a mortal mind _alive_ that can resist your powers, is there?_

"You are confused, aren't you…_Avenger_?" Keel asked viciously, "As are you, too…Guardian. I can sense the Holy Powers within you. They disgust Me. That distant, old fool, Yahweh, is still sending his little followers to do his bidding so he doesn't have to breach his precious '_Covenant_'."

"You speak with such disdain, Keel," I replied, trying to sound calm, "Tell me, why do you bear such a grudge against our Creator? Did He not also make _you_?"

"He has forgotten Me," Keel growled, "After he banished Me and My followers, he forgot about us. That is, until it was _convenient_ for him to remember us and try to set rules to try and limit our impact on his precious, little world. Little did he know, we had already set in motion plans to expel his little self-images from his perfect Garden. My mistress, Lilith, tempted his little golem-girl, Eve, into eating fruit that had been forbidden them. Once that had happened, her husband Adam ate, too, and they were _both_ kicked out! Unfortunately, when _Adam_ died, Yahweh made him an _Angel_. Imagine! A being, made of _mud_ and corrupted by _sin_, being selected to take My place in the ranks of Heaven! After _that_ happened, I did my best to corrupt Adam to turn to Darkness with Me and join My ranks. I was successful. The Angel of Light became an Angel of Darkness. Lilith cannot bear Me sons or daughters, but she _could_ bear them to Adam. So, he copulated with My wife and she bore Me seventeen children. All of whom _you_ have destroyed, just as we wished you to."

"You…_wanted_ us to slay your own children?" Rei asked, confused, "I do not…understand…"

"Yes, it was painful to watch you slay them and not act," Keel said, "However, their deaths were a necessary sacrifice. Their shed blood has helped to cement this Council's power over this earth."

"Blood magic…" I growled.

_What do you know about it?_ Rei asked.

_Only what the Lord opened in my memories,_ I replied,_ Blood magic is one of the most powerful and potent methods of casting. Blood magic is at its _most_ potent when the blood sacrificed is either your own, or someone of your own blood. A child falls into that category. To sacrifice seventeen of your own children… He must have been planning quite a hefty spell._

"Yes," Keel hissed, "A blood spell, nearly sixteen years in the making, but one which will return us to our former glory and power."

"Who _are_ you?" I demanded, "It's clear that you aren't Mortal, so what _are_ you?!"

"Who am I?" Keel asked, "Perhaps you might recognize Me in My true guise…"

Keel's form changed. No longer was he an old man. Now, he stood tall and erect, his form very similar to my own. However, while my hair and eyes were snow-white, his were blacker than a night sky under a new moon. His six wings were not made of Angel feathers; they were similar in appearance to a bat's or a dragon's. Rei gasped; I knew why.

"Lucifer…" I whispered.

**Hmm...cue the suspenseful music... Sorry this chapter was a little shorter and took a little longer, folks. College is getting nuts (it's almost midterms season). Ah, well... no more complaining from me... Please feel free to leave me a review (or not, it makes little difference whether you do or not).**


	19. The Showdown

Chapter 19

"Why, Za'afiel, I'm just touched you remember Me," said Lucifer, "Just makes Me all…warm and fuzzy inside."

"Really?" I asked, "Because seeing _you_ is making me sick to my _stomach_."

"You know, back in the old days, we were almost the best of friends, you and I," said Lucifer, "We were both among Yahweh's highest ranks of Archangels, until you decided to side with _him_ instead of your _friend_!"

"Is that what's behind all this?" I asked, "You're sore over my decision to side with the Creator instead of with your losing cause?"

"It's still not too late," Lucifer said, "I am willing to give you one more chance to join Me and live. Refuse, and you and every Mortal you care about will all die."

I didn't reply or make any facial response. I didn't want to give Lucifer the satisfaction of knowing that he had gotten to me. When I didn't' respond, Lucifer changed his tone of voice to a more serpentine, coercive hiss.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Za'afiel," he hissed, "You can still join Me…We can be friends again…"

I felt waves of strange energy washing over me. I tried to resist them, but I felt my mind weakening. I started to believe the Deceiver's words.

_Andrew, don't listen!_ Rei pleaded telepathically.

_I'm…trying, Rei,_ I sighed weakly, _I just…can't resist… I can hear his suggestions on more than the physical level. He's speaking to the sin in my soul…It's giving him power over me._

_Andrew, listen to _me_!_ Rei urged, _It's your _guilt_ that's giving Lucifer the power over you. Forgive yourself and you'll be able to resist! Just _forgive_ yourself!_

_I can't…_ I protested, _I've done too many terrible things in my life; things I could never expect anyone to forgive me for, so why should I forgive _myself_?_

_Because if you _can't_, how can you forgive anyone _else_?_ Rei asked, _I've watched you say "I forgive you" to people and really seem to mean it. But, if you can't forgive _yourself_, how do I know that your forgiveness of _others_ was sincere?_

I knew that Rei had a valid point, but that part of my brain that was able to think rationally was rapidly disappearing and becoming null. My will was being twisted by the Dark One's words; I knew this, but still could do nothing to prevent it. Why should I forgive myself? What did I deserve forgiveness for?

Rei continued to entreat me, but her voice started to sound increasingly more distant. As I watched, she was actually pushed back away from me by some sort of magical force. As soon as Rei was away from me, several pillars of black flame rose up around me and started to take shapes. The flames became beautiful, naked, raven-haired women; succubae, I knew, but that didn't stop me from appreciating their physical perfection. Their breasts were full and round, but didn't sag down like Mortal bosoms. They stood out from their chests like round moons, erect and proud. The demonesses began to dance, seductively swiveling and tossing their hips. As they moved, their breast bounced, jiggled and heaved. I, despite my moral revulsion, felt my male parts reacting instinctively to this display of female sex appeal.

"They will be yours, Avenger…" Lucifer was saying, his voice low and coercive, "These fine creatures will be totally and utterly _your_ creatures to command and possess, if you will bow down and serve Me…"

I began to give in to my Mortal desires. I started to reach out and try to touch one of the dancing succubae. They slid back just out of my reach, teasing me and giggling girlishly. All of my sense was disappearing as I was consumed by lust for these creatures of ether.

"Bow down to our Master…" they cooed, "We're waiting for you…Bow down…"

_What am I doing?_ I asked myself as my body continued to chase the demonesses, _I love _Rei_! Why am I chasing these demons? I love _Rei_, and her _alone_! Why can't I _resist_?!_

My body moved of its own accord, trying vainly to capture one of the voluptuous creatures and possess her. A blur moved by me, striking off the heads of each of the succubae. Though the heads were cut off, the bodies continued to dance; without even missing a beat.

"Foolish little Guardian," I heard Lucifer chuckle, "A mind is the least part of a woman. Cutting off their _heads_ won't stop them from doing their duty."

_Andrew, please!_ Rei pleaded again, more desperately than the last time, _You have to _help_ me! Don't give in to his words or charms! Come back to me! I love you!_

Her last sentence resounded in my mind. Something within me snapped back to reality. Memories surfaced: Rei and I on the train together, Rei and I together in the weight room at NERV, Rei and I working together in the simulator, Rei and I sleeping together in my bed, her skin against mine, and most especially, Rei and I out together on our first date. I realized that my soul couldn't be corrupted in me, because it already belonged to someone else. I felt my mind regain control of my facilities.

Something new boiled up within me: righteous fury. Here was Lucifer, who was trying to use me and take my love away from the person who deserved it most. Overcome by rage, I unleashed a tornado of Heaven's Flame, incinerating the succubae and throwing Lucifer and his minions back. I collapsed to one knee, exertion taking a sudden and quick toll on me. I recovered and stood back to my feet.

"So you resist," Lucifer said, his voice no longer silky and seductive, "I knew I should have corrupted your Guardian first."

"You will not have the chance to, Dark Prince," I growled, "You will die first."

"Such brave words, Za'afiel," Lucifer growled, "Let's see you back them up!"

Lucifer flew at me, drawing a dark sword from the air. Despite his blinding speed, I was ready and brought my sword up to block. Rei made to help me, but before she was able to do anything, the other members of SEELE crowded around her and turned into large, red demons and began to fight her. I was concerned with how badly Rei was outnumbered (at least ten-to-one!), but I couldn't do anything without leaving myself open to attack from Lucifer.

Lucifer's attacks were smooth, strong, and connected. He left no space in between his strikes for me to counter-strike. I was trapped on the defensive. Furiously, my mind worked to try and come up with some sort of strategy.

_He's not giving me any room or quarter,_ I thought as I parried his latest attack,_ but I can't keep blocking. I have to go on the attack. I may take a couple of hits, but I have to strike back! All right, full force!_

Lucifer struck again. This time, instead of doing a straight-up parry, I bunted with my sword, spun off to one side, and launched myself into the air. With a snarl of rage, Lucifer was right behind me, pursuing me up into the clouds. I pushed myself as fast as I could go; I needed time in order to implement my plan. I stopped and pivoted in the air to face my rapidly approaching opponent.

When he was close enough that I felt he couldn't get out of the way, I unleashed a massive bolt of Heaven's Flame, accompanied by a hail of flame darts from my wings. Lucifer couldn't evade it, so he threw up his arms in front of him and blocked it. The flame threw him backwards through the air several hundred feet towards the ground. Smoke and steam rose in great billows from my enemy.

_Now, press the attack!_ I told myself.

I hurtled towards my target in a blind bull-rush. I swung my sword at the Dark Angel's neck, intending to sever it. His hand came up and caught my blade as it whistled through the air. His sword arced towards my head. I tried to imitate his action and catch it. As my hand closed around the black blade, Lucifer pulled back on it, slashing my palm. I roared with pain and fury. Inwardly, I raged with self-accusation.

_Fool!_ I roared, _You let him bait you! Stick to your Flame, it seemed to work the last time._

I brought my sword back and struck at him again; a feinting attack. As soon as my enemy's sword came up to block, I brought my other hand up to the level of his chest and blasted him with another wave of Heaven's Flame. He howled in pain as the holy fire drove him down into the ground. I dropped from the sky and drove my sword through his chest, pinning him to the dirt.

Quickly, I left Lucifer and turned my attention to Rei's battle with the other demons. As I charged through the air towards the melee, I launched wave after wave of flame darts into the backs of the red beasts. They snarled and roared, and several of them turned their attention to me.

I drew a fresh sword of flame from the air and engaged my new adversaries. Rei and I stood back to back in the middle of the circle of demons. We slowly rotated as our adversaries stalked around us.

_They've got us outnumbered, _I said.

_That much is rather obvious,_ Rei replied, _What do you suggest we do about it?_

_Well, that's simple,_ I said, _Let's kick their asses!_

While I coordinated our efforts telepathically, Rei and I attacked in perfect, mirrored unison. We used corresponding attacks as precisely the same instants and moved quickly and efficiently. Only a minute later, the entire council of SEELE lay dead at our feet.

"I guess that just leaves the three of us," came a harsh, angry voice from behind me.

Rei and I turned around fast, our swords raised and ready. Standing there, a seared, red hole in his abdomen, was Lucifer. He seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

"You stabbed him through the chest!" Rei gasped, "Why isn't he dead?!"

"I didn't do it to kill him," I said, shaking my head a little, "I knew that it would take more than that. I only impaled him to immobilize him long enough to come and help you."

"You were right about one thing," Lucifer rasped, "It will take more than a tiny sword wound through My chest to kill Me. However, there is no help for either one of you!"

Lucifer began to change shape again. Now, instead of his Angelic form, he was a demonic beast. His hair became coarse, animal-like hair, his skin deepened to a heavy, blood-red shade. Two thick horns protruded from his temples, and a lash-like tail emerged from his rear. His fingers and toes became claws. He smiled cruelly, showing his sharp, fang-like teeth.

"And this is what you really look like, isn't it?" I asked, "This is your true form, now."

Lucifer merely hissed in reply as he sped through the air at Rei and me. He was even faster than he was before! I barely had enough time to push Rei out of the way before he came blasting through us, swinging a gigantic dark sword. I felt a stinging sensation in my right arm. I was actually bleeding; in Seraph form! Lucifer's sword was able to hurt me.

_Well, that makes some deal of sense, I suppose, since _my_ sword could hurt _him_,_ I thought.

_Are you all right?_ Rei asked anxiously.

_I'm fine, Rei, it's just a scratch,_ I replied, _Don't worry about me, just keep your eyes on _him_!_

Lucifer wheeled around and charged towards me again. I spread my arms, preparing to grapple with him. As he got close, I leaped into the air and grabbed him, doing my best to drag him down to the ground.

"You fools," the devil hissed, "There is no way for you to defeat Me. It would take more power than any Angel could ever _possess_ to kill Me. That is why I sacrificed My children, as well as nearly half of the world's peoples: to invoke the Blood magic that would make Me invincible!"

The Lord of Hell began to laugh maniacally. I felt a momentary flash of fear and doubt. What if Rei and I _didn't_ have the power necessary to defeat the devil? What if we failed? What would happen to all of our friends and the rest of the life on earth? The consequences were too ghastly to consider if we failed.

"No," I growled softly as I continued to grapple with Lucifer, "No…we _mustn't_ fail!"

"You _shall_ fail…" the devil hissed softly, extending his power to try and gain control of me through my doubts. I felt him coming this time, and ignored his suggestions.

"That trick won't work _twice_, Dark One," I growled, "The old saying goes: 'Fool me once shame on you, but fool me twice…' well…no one usually _does_ fool me twice."

"So you are immune to My hypnotism," said Lucifer, "Well, that's the least of My powers. Let's see how you like _this_!"

Before I saw it coming, a massive stream of lightning blasted me in the chest and threw me through the air. I landed on the ground and temporarily blacked out. I quickly recovered, though and collected my senses. I shook my head to clear my vision and saw Rei standing in front of me, trying to grapple with Lucifer.

"No!" I gasped.

_There's no _way_ that Rei has the power to grapple with the devil; even _with_ her Angelic power,_ I thought frantically, charging back into the fray.

There was a cracking sound, and Rei cried out in pain. Lucifer had just snapped one of her arms. While Rei was distracted by the pain, Lucifer whipped his tail and wrapped it around her neck, and began to strangle her with it. He aimed another lightning blast at me. I dove and rolled away from it. I heard Rei gagging and choking.

_Please, dear Heavenly Father,_ I prayed, _We need help!_

I flew at Lucifer, hurling flame bolts at him with as much verve as he was launching lightning at me. The bolts intercepted each other in mid-air and detonated. With a battle cry, I bowled into the devil.

"You will not touch her _ever_ again!" I swore, slashing his tail in half with my sword.

The half of the tail that was detached from Lucifer crumbled to ashes, leaving Rei gasping for air and clutching her neck with her good hand.

_Get back, Rei!_ I shouted mentally. Rei crawled backwards as best she could, clutching her broken arm to her chest and gasping with pain.

There was a massive clap of thunder. Lucifer looked skyward at the sound, his eyes filled with fear. I turned as well. I saw, descending from the clouds on a chariot of fire, the Archangel, Michael. Michael was the leader of Heaven's armies, my commander, and the one who had originally cast Lucifer down out of Heaven during the Insurrection.

"My Captain," I said with a relieved smile.

"Za'afiel, You have fought well," said Michael's booming voice, "Now we shall deal with this serpent once and for all, as the Lord has commanded."

My commander drew a gleaming sword of celestial light and boldly charged Lucifer. The devil tried to evade the attack, but Michael caught him by the throat and held him still and aloft. The Lord of Hell tried vainly to fire lightning and Hell Fire blasts at Michael, but he easily deflected them.

"Now, Za'afiel," Michael commanded, "strike him down. Destroy the Evil One once and for all."

"I don't have the power," I protested, "He has cast a Blood magic spell on the global scale!"

"And I invoke its power _now_!" Lucifer shouted. Pure, primordial energy crackled through the very air around us. It centered on Lucifer and began to be absorbed by his Infernal flesh. He began to grow larger and larger, becoming a great, grotesque beast with long, sharp fangs, enormous claws, three cable-like tails, and two monstrous horns protruding from his brow on either side of a strange, dark crystal that had appeared there.

"Now, I am at a level of might undreamt of by even Yahweh!" Lucifer boomed, "There are none who may stand before Me now!"

"Maybe not," I retorted, "But we're sure gonna _try_!"

"No, Za'afiel," Michael cautioned, "You cannot defeat the Beast Master through brute force, now. He is more powerful than You are. The only way to combat this evil is through prayer. We must invoke the Holy Powers to defeat his Infernal Powers. They are the only force strong enough to destroy him now. Both of You pray with me now!"

Michael, Rei and I all dropped to one knee, grasping our swords and bowing to the ground. I heard Michael chanting in Latin and Angel-speech. I began to mimic his chant, barely understanding what I was saying.

_Your chant must be in Your native tongue,_ I heard Michael say in my head, _Listen to Your Guardian. She is invoking power through Her native, Mortal tongue. You must do the same._

_I don't _know_ any chants in English_, I protested, _Wait…yes, I do…_

I began to recite the Lord's Prayer, starting softly and growing louder. After that, I recited the Ave Maria, and then back to the Lord's Prayer. I heard Rei chanting in Japanese.

"Give up, you foolish Angels," Lucifer boomed, "You simply _cannot_ defeat Me. It's _useless_!"

_Do not listen to the Deceiver,_ Michael said to us, _Believe in what you are saying, and the Power _will_ be invoked._

Rei, Michael and I continued to repeat our chants and prayers. We started to grow louder and faster in the repetition of the words. As our chanting reached a crescendo, bolts of white lightning lanced from Heaven and struck me. I felt energized beyond description! It was more power than I had ever felt before.

"Now," Michael ordered, "Go and destroy the Evil One, Za'afiel. Make him feel the Wrath of God."

I smiled. I could feel the Heavenly Power radiating from every pore of my skin. I concentrated on a shape-change, making myself the same size as Lucifer. The devil roared and grappled with me, lashing the ground with his tails. The earth trembled and quaked. I hurled the devil up and away from the earth. He recovered mid-flight and launched a massive bolt of Hell Fire down at me. My fiery wings unfurled and formed a shield in front of me. The Fire could not touch me. I gathered my energy and launched a bolt of Heavenly Power and Fire back up at Lucifer. The Dark Prince tried to twist away, but the blast seared away his wings, bringing him crashing down to earth.

I noted that the crystal in his forehead was pulsing. I gripped it in my gigantic fingers and made to tug. Lucifer tried to stop me, but the crystal came free in my hands. Once the black stone was freed from his brow, Lucifer shrank back to his original size. I could feel his power ebbing away by the second. It was all centered in this crystal that I was holding in my hand.

_If I placed this crystal in _my_ brow…_ I thought, suddenly struck by the realization that I was holding a source of near-infinite power.

"No, Andrew!" Rei shouted, reading my thoughts, "Don't do it! You don't _need_ it!"

Still, the lure of great power was there. I could hear the stone whispering in my head. It was beckoning me to put it to my brow. As hard as I thought about it, I couldn't make myself drop the stone.

"Michael, take the stone from me, quickly!" I begged.

"I cannot," Michael, "and neither can Your Guardian. Its touch would corrupt us and destroy us. You and You alone are able to destroy that stone, Za'afiel. Trust Your heart. It will guide you along the straight path."

"No!" screamed Lucifer.

I shrank back to my normal height, still holding the dark crystal. Lucifer tried to prevent me from harming the stone, but Michael held him at bay. I realized that I could, indeed, destroy the crystal, but I would still not be able to permanently destroy the Evil One. The best that I could hope to do would be to imprison him and entrust his care to my Captain. I focused the pure, Heavenly Power that I now wielded into the dark stone and focused on changing its purpose.

The crystal changed from the color of onyx to a clear, bright crystal. It radiated Heavenly Light. I no longer had the near-infinite power; it had left me as I changed the crystal, and now resided within it. I pressed the stone to Lucifer's brow. With a scream, he was drawn into the white stone.

"You have trapped him," Michael observed, "Why did you not simply destroy him?"

"Because this is a more thorough way of dealing with Lucifer," I replied, "Now, he is trapped for sure, and there is no way for him to escape. He is contained. And I entrust the crystal to You, my Captain, for safe-keeping."

I handed Michael the prison-crystal. With a bow, Michael retreated back to Heaven. I remembered Rei's arm.

"It's all right," Rei said, showing me her right arm, "Michael healed me while you were dealing with Lucifer. I must say that I'm impressed with your willpower and resolve. Any lesser of a man would have given in to the lure of power."

"I very nearly did," I admitted, "It was almost impossible to resist."

"But you resisted, and you trapped the devil within his own crystal," said Rei, "_That_, if I may say so, was a stroke of _genius_. You made the shed blood of millions of people worth something. They did not die needlessly. Their deaths, while senseless at the time, helped to seal away the Lord of Hell for the rest of Eternity."

"It makes me wonder, though," I said thoughtfully, "Now that Lucifer is gone, will we, the Avengers and Guardians, still be needed? Weren't we created to even the balance between God and Lucifer?"

"Mankind doesn't need the devil in order to do evil things," Rei said.

"That's the truth," I agreed.


	20. The Love

Chapter 20

Rei and I walked back to NERV Headquarters to survey the aftermath as our human selves. Several of the techs could be heard babbling about encounters with Angels. Many of them spoke of how beautiful the beings were and how protective they seemed. I heard a few of them talking about how terrifying and _brutal_ I (that is, Za'afiel) had been. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. That battle with the devil had really taken it out of me.

"Are you two all right?" Fuyutski asked when we arrived on the bridge.

"We are well, thank you, Commander," said Rei.

_I absolutely despise having to continue pretending that I'm still that soulless doll that I used to be,_ Rei thought irritably.

_Then don't pretend anymore_, I replied, _Ikari and Akagi are gone. Everyone else who is left will be more accepting of your changes if you should happen to make them._

_Are you sure?_ Rei asked.

_Positive._

Rei smiled; _beamed_ actually. Shinji, Asuka, and everyone else in the room who knew Rei all practically passed out on the floor from sudden shock. I was actually a little bit surprised, myself, even though I knew Rei's real self better than anyone else present. I knew she had a beautiful smile, but nothing like the radiant, pleasant grin she was giving now. If it was at all possible, I could have sworn I was falling more in love with her than I already was.

_You're so flattering, dear,_ Rei said, reading my thoughts, _But your smile is so much more pleasant than mine._

_What makes you say that?_ I asked, confused.

_Yours has so much more experience behind it,_ Rei replied.

_Yours will get there before too long,_ I said, _Especially if you keep smiling like this. You'll get used to it and it's going to become more natural. And anyway, how can you say mine has more experience? I hardly ever smile._

_You didn't used to,_ Rei agreed, _but you've become more calm and relaxed. I saw you smiling while we were gone on our time journey. When I see you smile like that; that calm, relaxed, comfortable smile…something inside of me melts._

I flushed quietly. I heard Shinji and Asuka both stuttering for words.

"Rei, you—you're _smiling_!" Shinji stammered.

"You've seen me smile before, Shinji," Rei said, "Remember?"

I read Shinji's memory. He and Rei had battled the Fifth Angel together, nearly resulting in Rei losing her life due to the Angel's particle beam. However, Shinji had succeeded in destroying it, and then he had forcibly removed her entry plug in an attempt to rescue her. When they had talked, Rei was confused about why Shinji was crying when it seemed to be such a happy moment. Shinji had said that if she was happy, then she should smile.

"Yeah, I've seen you smile before, Rei, but never like _this_," Shinji said, "This is…astounding. I never knew you could smile like that. It was just…_radiant_."

"No kidding," Asuka agreed, still gaping slightly, "I'm sorry for saying this, Wonder Girl, but I always thought you were just a little doll; an emotionless, soulless…_toy_ that couldn't _feel_ anything, let alone actually _smile_ about something."

"Well, I've changed a lot since Andrew came," Rei said, "I think…in him I've found a…kindred spirit."

_Clever disguise, Rei_, I said, smirking covertly.

_Thank you,_ Rei replied, still talking aloud, _I just tried to think like you do, and the cover-up came to me. I think you've had a bad influence on me…_

_Maybe I have,_ I replied, chuckling mentally.

"So, he helped you come out of your shell, then, Wonder Girl?" Asuka asked after Rei finished telling her cover story, "This little American boy, so far from home, in a strange place, surrounded by strange _people_, just--,"

"Okay, Asuka, we get the point," Shinji cut in. I'm very grateful that he did, because Asuka was starting to get annoying. However, I noticed that both times Asuka had called Rei "Wonder Girl", it hadn't been in the old, scornful tone that she used to use when she called Rei that. It now sounded more like a friendly nickname, sort of like the way I called her "Red".

I noticed a lot of whispering and muttering between all of the techs in the room as Rei told her story. I suppose they were entitled to it. Most of them had known Rei since her beginnings at NERV; perhaps they didn't know her _whole_ story, but they knew that she was a very stony-faced girl who _never_ smiled.

The most entertaining shocked face in the crowded room had to have been that of sub-Commander Fuyutski. The old man looked like he had just gotten slapped in the face by a wet fishtail. His eyes were the widest I had ever seen them. He gaped and stared, but made no sounds. Despite myself, I actually chuckled at his face. He must have heard me laughing, because he asked:

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, sir," I said between chortles, "It's just that I've never seen you with such a hilarious face before. You look like you just got slapped with a wet noodle!"

Rei and I both dissolved into fits of giggles, followed shortly by Asuka and Grace. Shinji, while he held onto his "straight-man" composure for longer than we had, eventually crumbled into a fit of laughter, as well. As a matter of fact, every person on the bridge within earshot of what I had just said began to chuckle and laugh. A tick began to build in the old man's cheek. I watched his eye twitch, knowing full well that we were about to hear the full fury of Fuyutski. Sure enough, a few seconds later:

"_THAT_ WILL _DO_!" the old man boomed, sounding uncharacteristically angry and harsh. The bridge went so quiet that you could have heard a feather hit the ground. Asuka and Grace actually recoiled with shock at the sudden outburst.

"Ahem. My apologies," said Fuyutski, straightening up and smoothing his ruffled, silver hair, "However, I fail to see what is so _funny_ about me being shocked."

Then, in his thoughts, I heard him add: _She never smiled for anyone but Ikari…And that was just because he had her trained to love him._

"It's not the fact that you were _shocked_, sir," I said reassuringly, "It's just the face that you were wearing was absolutely _classic_! It's been a really long time since I've seen a face that came anywhere _close_ to being as funny as yours was."

Fuyutski's cheek gave another twitch as I said this and chuckled again.

"Oh, lighten up, sir," I said, "I'm just kidding! I didn't mean any disrespect."

The old man was silent. Suddenly a massive quake rocked headquarters.

"What's going on?!" Fuyutski demanded.

"We don't know!" Ibuki screamed back, her fingers flying over the keyboard in front of her.

"It's some form of AT Field!" shouted Aolba, "I can't figure out the pattern, though. The Magi can't analyze it!"

My tired mind detected the entity. It was terribly powerful, rising rapidly from within Terminal Dogma; and it was _pissed_! It could only be one thing…

_It's Lilith,_ I thought to Rei, _She's awakened from her dormancy and she knows we've trapped her husband and broken their blood-spell._

_How?_ Rei wondered, _How has she been awakened and escaped? There shouldn't have been any way for that to happen. The bonds that Commander Ikari placed her in were such that she shouldn't have been able to be released. What's going on?_

_I don't know,_ I replied, _I'm really worried about this one, Rei. I'm still exhausted from our battle with the Evil One, and Lilith feels just as strong, if not a little bit stronger._

_Our instant refreshing power!_ Rei said rapidly, _Now's the ideal time to use it. Everyone's evacuating the base. Soon, we'll be alone in here. Then we can act._

"Rei! Andrew! Come on!" Shinji shouted, "We've got to get out of here!"

"You go on, Shinji!" I shouted back. He looked like he was about to say something, I stopped him with a meaningful look. Silently, the boy nodded and turned to run.

"He understands," I muttered.

"We're the only ones in the room now," Rei observed.

"Right," I replied.

Rei and I shifted into our warrior forms and refreshed ourselves. I felt my clarity of mind return as well as my physical stamina. With the return of my physical stamina came the return of my full Devine potency.

"Let's go," I said, extending my hand to Rei.

Rei took us "between" to the ground level outside. We saw NERV personnel in rapid evacuation, heading for the linear train that would lead up to city-level. However, amongst the countless number of running people, I saw one, blonde-haired woman standing absolutely still. Seeming to sense Rei's and my presence, she turned to face us. I blanched in surprise.

"D—doctor…Akagi?" I asked, "But…you're dead…"

"Hello, Za'afiel, dear boy," she said, her voice like honey.

"Lilith," Rei hissed scornfully.

"And Zophiel, too?" Lilith asked, feigning surprise, "Well, we can just call this a great, big, happy reunion, can't we?"

"How did you inhabit this body?" Rei demanded, "Ritsuko Akagi is dead."

"That's precisely _why_ I could take her body," Lilith answered, "Her soul is gone, and my blood preserved her body. After her body had absorbed enough of my essence without her own soul present, I could will my soul out of my former, captive body into this new, beautiful one."

_So that's why the entry plugs always smelled like blood,_ I thought, _Because the LCL was nothing more than the blood of an Angel._

Rei stared hard and angrily at the demon-queen who stood before us. Lilith saw Rei's face and laughed amusedly.

"Now…why so angry, my dear?" she asked, "Don't you know that being so upset will put premature wrinkles in your skin? Don't you think that you'd better keep your skin looking young and attractive for as long as you possibly can? After all, men prefer their women to be pretty, _don't_ you, Za'afiel?"

"She is perfect however she chooses to be," I said tensely. This ancient bitch was really starting to annoy me. Her honeyed, condescending tones made me feel about two feet tall, not to mention as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

"Oh, now come on," Lilith mocked, "Do you really expect me to believe _that_ load of emotional _garbage_? I am _Lilith_, the Queen of the Night. The Goddess of Sex! _I_ created the very _idea_ of sexual attraction! Why, if it weren't for _me_, you humans would just come together, mate, and then separate like any _other_ animals! Now, look at you. You come together and have sex just for the sheer, gleeful _fun_ of it! Look at your partner, Za'afiel…Can't you see how attractive she is? You can't be _honest_ and say that you've never _once_ thought about making love to her. You could hardly call yourself a _male_ if you hadn't thought about it."

"Shut up!" I snarled.

_Careful, _Rei said to me through our link, _You're playing right into this demon bitch's hands. She wants you to lose your focus. Once you do, you'll be hers._

_Thanks for stopping me, Rei,_ I replied, _It's just…hearing her say those things…She's…_

_I don't care if she's right about you or not,_ Rei said, reading where my thoughts were headed, _I know the _real_ you. The _real_ you doesn't think with his genitals, he thinks with his head and his heart._

_I _have_ thought about making love to you, though, Rei,_ I admitted, _many times. I've dreamt of it at night, and it's woken me up in a hot sweat with a throbbing erection!_

_You've never tried to take advantage of me, though,_ Rei pointed out, _No matter how much you might have _thought_ about it. There's a difference between _thinking_ about doing something and actually _doing_ it. That is my point. Yes, you might have had the _desire_ to possess me, and I understand that it's natural for you to feel like that, but you didn't _act_ on that desire and force yourself on me. Instead, you allowed our relationship to grow at a steady, healthy pace, and I thank you for that._

_You always know just what to say, don't you?_ I asked fondly, smiling inwardly.

_It's only for you,_ Rei replied lovingly.

"Oh, hell," said Lilith, disgust lacing her voice, "I can feel waves and _torrents_ of love coming off of you and it's making me absolutely _sick_!"

"What's the matter, Lilith?" Rei mocked, "Afraid of seeing what love _actually_ looks like, instead of your deluded, perverse _fantasies_?"

"Shut up, you little _bitch_!" Lilith hissed, "I'll _kill_ you for that!"

Lilith's shape changed, becoming less human, and more demonic. She now had greenish scales covering her skin, her hair was gone, and her eyes turned yellow with cat-like slits. Her teeth lengthened to fangs and her nails became claws. A pointed, serpentine tail sprouted from her backside along with bat-like wings from her back.

The Demon Mother threw herself at Rei. Rei blanched slightly, hesitating at the suddenness of the attack. I had no such hesitations. I drew my sword and threw myself in front of Rei. I felt Lilith's long claws sink deeply into my chest, plunging close to my heart. As though from a great distance, I heard her crying out in pain. I felt myself being thrown backwards through the air, and then I thudded heavily on the ground and lay still. I could feel my life-force ebbing away with each passing second. I knew that I would soon die. Strangely, though, I felt…calm; at peace. I knew where I was bound: the Pearly Gates of Saint Peter. Soft hands and arms cradled my head. I heard a voice, frantic and tearful, in my mind:

_Don't leave me, Andrew._

_Rei_, I replied weakly, _I'm dying. I can feel…Lilith's venom…coursing through my veins…sapping my strength. But don't grieve…for me…I'll always…love you…Rei…_

My mind clouded to darkness. I felt myself floating through a black emptiness. Away, far off in the distance, I saw a bright spot of light.

_It's warm,_ I thought, feeling an immense, wonderful warmth emanating from that one, tiny speck of light, _It's where I need to go._

_This isn't where you need to be, bud._

_Lee?_ I asked, _How am I talking to you? You're…dead… If I'm talking to you again, that would mean…that _I'm_ dead, too…_

_You're not dead yet,_ my brother replied, _I've been sent down to you to make sure you don't come to Heaven yet; it's not your time. You've still got people on earth who need you._

_But…Lilith's venom,_ I protested, _It's killed me. My body…_

_Is being healed,_ Lee said, finishing my thought, _Your Guardian knows how to save you, but it may kill her to do it._

_No!_ I gasped, _I can't live without Rei!_

_Then turn back now!_ Lee said firmly, _Go back. Fight for your life! Go back, Andrew. Don't make her kill herself trying to save you._

_Yes…yes, you're right!_ I thought frantically, _I have to get back! My body…how…?_

I concentrated with all of my willpower on returning to my body. As I concentrated, I felt an immense pain building in my chest, right over my heart.

_It's working!_ I thought, happy despite the pain, _I'm coming back!_

My world came to light again and I looked up at Rei. Her eyes were closed tightly and her face was beaded with a heavy sweat. I felt her hand on my chest, right where Lilith's claws had wounded me. She was channeling her own life-force into me in order to bring me back!

"Rei…stop…" I groaned weakly.

"I won't let you go!" Rei said vehemently, not opening her eyes.

"I'm not…going anywhere," I said, my voice gaining a little bit of strength.

Rei's eyes opened suddenly and brimmed over with tears. She clutched me tightly to her chest and sobbed.

"You promise?" she whispered in my ear.

"Promise," I replied gently.

**A.N.: Ahh...It's so nice to be back to writing again! It's been quite a while since my last chapter update for this story. I did miss it. I'm sorry it's been so long. But I'm back in my writing groove, and I think I might be able to finally finish this story now. As always, reviews are welcome and helpful!**


	21. The Prince of Demons

Chapter 21

"Rei, what happened…to Lilith?" I asked, struggling to try and stand, "I remember her landing on my sword as she wounded me, but that's it."

I was lying to her, and Rei probably knew it. I still remembered talking to my brother and being led away from the light and back to earth, but I wasn't about to worry her with that particular story.

"The wound wasn't mortal," Rei replied, "She threw you back through the air with an energy burst. As I saw you fall…"

Rei's voice trailed off. I saw images start to appear in my mind. Clearly, it was easier for Rei to show me than to tell me.

Through Rei's eyes, I saw myself hit the ground after wounding Lilith. I didn't get up or even stir. The picture became blurry.

_I had started to cry,_ Rei explained.

The tears cleared up momentarily as Rei turned back to face the bleeding Lilith, only to be replaced by new ones: tears of rage. Rei drew her sword and attacked the Demon Mother head-on. This time, it was Lilith's turn to be surprised. Before she knew what happened, Lilith had lost her left arm. She shrieked in agony and lashed out with her right hand, trying to skewer Rei with her talons. However, Rei wasn't about to allow herself to be touched by the demon. With unbelievable ease, Rei spun off to one side and slashed at Lilith's neck. Narrowly, the Queen of Evil avoided having her head taken off.

Lilith took off on her wings, realizing that she was outmatched and deciding to make a run for it. Rei wasn't fooled. She unleashed a hail of ice spikes, ripping holes in Lilith's wing membranes. The Demon Queen fell back to earth with a shriek. The Ancient Temptress turned to face Rei, now hissing like a cornered animal.

Still hissing and shrieking, Lilith charged Rei, slashing with her talons. Rei, still driven by rage and passionate vengeance, ducked the claws, slashed off the arm, and drove her sword into the demoness' midriff. This sudden pain stunned Lilith, allowing Rei to strike again. Rei fired a blast of freezing ice point-blank, encasing Lilith's body in a crystalline cocoon. Lilith's exposed head spouted curse after bloody curse, but she was unable to do anything _except_ scream and curse.

"You are ended," was all Rei said before firing a second blast at Lilith's head, encasing her totally in ice and finally silencing the Demon Mother's venomous words. Then, using all of her strength and rage at once, Rei gave a mighty punch and shattered Lilith's frozen form into a thousand tiny shards. The Demon Mother was dead. My limp form came rapidly into view as Rei raced to my side. I saw her cradling my head and heard her trying to talk to me physically. The images became heavily blurred by tears. My head dropped back limply; I had just faded.

The memory ended. Rei was crying again; in the present, this time. I took her gently in my arms and held her close.

"Rei…I'm so incredibly proud of you," I said fondly, my voice soft and gentle.

"Why?" she asked, "Because of my hesitation at the beginning of the fight, you were nearly killed because you had to save me."

"And you _did_ die to save me, as well as everyone else, against the Sixteenth Angel," I countered.

"If I had _fought_ against Lilith at the _outset_ instead of _freezing_ like a coward--," Rei started again.

"Rei, that's _enough_!" I roared angrily. My chest gave a throb as I snapped. Rei cringed slightly at my sudden anger.

"You were taken by surprise, that's all. I have no regrets about taking a hit that was intended for you. I'd do it again in an instant. I won't stand here and let you continue to berate yourself over something that neither one of us had any control over, do you understand? I simply will not tolerate it."

"But…I…"

"No," I said, still more firmly, "I won't hear it, and that's all I'm going to say. Let it go. We're both going to be fine. Now, I think it's finally over at last. At least, for now it is…until we're needed again."

Rei still seemed like she wanted to fight herself. However, I knew that she would respect my request and not voice her self-loathing. It was now on her own shoulders to forgive herself. I couldn't do it for her.

"Let's go home," I said.

"The apartment complex was destroyed when SEELE attacked, remember?" Rei pointed out.

"By God, you're right," I replied, "Hmm…well…"

"What about Shinji and Major Katsuragi?" Rei asked, "They do not have homes to go to now, either."

"That they don't," I agreed, "and neither does Asuka. I think Hyuga will take them in, though. He's a nice guy that way. That just leaves us to decide what we're going to do."

"For the time being, I think that we can just stay here at NERV in some for a spare room," I said, "I know there have to be emergency quarters of some kind in here. Ikari didn't seem like the kind of fool to build a fortress without preparations for having to barricade himself in here."

"There _are_ emergency quarters in NERV," said Rei, "I don't know why you'd want to live _there_, though."

"You won't…be living…at _all_…"

"_Now_ what?!" I demanded fiercely, turning to the source of the rasping voice.

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes widened with shock.

"It…can't…be…" I breathed in disbelief.

"Oh…it most certainly _can_."

It was Ikari. Gendo Ikari; the man I had imprisoned in his own mind. He was up, walking around, and he looked mad as _hell_!

"How?" I demanded.

"My…Lady Lilith…set me free," Ikari rasped in reply, "She also…made me immune…to having the same thing done to me again."

"And what did it cost you?" I asked, "A piece of what's left of your soul?"

"Oh, no," said Ikari, "She said that I was already…_destined_ for Hell. No…she only wanted me…to kill you! I had to admit…I liked that plan…so I agreed. She released me…from your powers…and gave me powers of my own. Like, for instance…_this_!"

The ground underneath Rei and I opened up and a tower of Hellfire erupted from the chasm. It hurt; a lot. I saw Ikari flying through the air towards us. He tackled me and wrestled me to the ground, all the while punching me in the face. His strength was unreal.

_That might explain why Lilith was so weak,_ I thought while trying to fight Ikari off, _She had transferred much of her strength to Ikari._

_No, his strength is coming from a different source,_ Rei said, reading my thoughts,_ I suspect he is using his body as a host for a demon._

_Possession? _I wondered, _Well, it's happened before…_

"Begone, demon!" I roared, placing my hand on Ikari's face and trying to drive out the demon's malevolent influence.

"Oh…did I forget to mention that?" Ikari chuckled, "Ikari isn't hosting _me_…_I'm_ hosting _him!_ You see, the damage you did to his body was such that he couldn't have hosted me if he'd _wanted_ to. My presence would have vaporized him to red mist. No, it's just _his_ thoughts and influence on _my_ own self. You see? _This_ is what I _really_ look like."

Ikari's body changed shape to a grotesque, gargoyle-ish demon. Its skin was stony and covered in razor edges. Its eyes were blacker than hell. It laughed at me then; a soulless, shrieking, horrible laugh. Driven by a new force, I kicked the demon off of me and rolled clear. My skin smarted from the Hellfire burns.

"Rei…" I remembered. I raced over to where my partner lay. She was badly burned and unconscious. I shuddered with fear and remorse as I scooped her up into my arms.

"I'm not…dead yet," I heard her whisper softly, "Just give me…a minute…to get my strength back…"

"No," I replied gently, "You just rest here. I'll take care of this one."

"He's…too strong," Rei protested, grimacing with pain.

"We'll see about that," I growled, gently setting Rei back on the ground.

I was hit from behind and sent sprawling out on the ground. Kicking quickly back to my feet, I saw the Ikari-demon wheeling through the air, circling back around for another strike. I had to counter-attack; that much I knew. Until I saw differently, I decided to go with my patented style of brute-force bull-rushing. I spread my wings and flew up to greet the demon.

"So, you come to face me yourself, Za'afiel?" he asked.

"I do," I replied.

"Well, first I'd like you to meet some old friends of mine," the demon remarked. He made a gesture.

From the same chasm that the Hellfire had erupted from, now sprang a legion of demonic soldiers. The very armies of all Hell now faced me. The demon laughed, still floating in the air.

"Do you know who I am, yet, Avenger?"

"Samael," I growled, "The general of Hell's armies."

"The very same," Samael said, taking a bow in mid-air, "Now…how would you like my army to dismember you? Kill him!"

The army of demons launched its attack. I unleashed a wave of Heavenflame; to no effect. The demons were only momentarily slowed, and undamaged.

_Of course,_ I thought, _why should flame work against creatures who were spawned in a region of fire? I guess we do this the old-fashioned way…_

I drew my flaming sword and launched into the fray. Shortly before crashing into the demons' frontline, I was joined by another army; Cherubim, Heaven's soldiers. All of them were bearing shield and sword and wearing brilliant armor.

We met the demons head-on and smashed their lines. By tens and hundreds they fell. A Cherub turned to me and said:

"My lord Za'afiel, return to your Guardian and aid our Lieutenant."

"Your—who? Who is it? Who was sent?" I demanded.

"It is Gabriel."

I turned and left the fray. Quickly winging across the field, I beheld the Archangel Gabriel kneeling down beside Rei. He looked up as he saw me land.

"Hello, Za'afiel," he said, "Michael instructed me to lead his army to your aid against Samael."

"He did not come, himself?" I asked.

"He could not," Gabriel replied, "The higher Archangels are forbidden to come down from Heaven more than once in a day's time."

"I see," I replied seriously, "So, that means that this is the only time that you can come to our aid, as well."

"Correct," Gabriel answered.

"So be it," said I, "How is she?"

"Zophiel has been badly burned by Samael's Hellfire," Gabriel replied gravely, "It is likely that she will die. And because she died by the touch of Hellfire, her soul may be lost to the burning Nether Realm."

"No. No, I _won't_ allow that to happen," I said firmly.

"Then you must _follow_ her soul to Hell," said Gabriel, "However, be warned: Once you enter Hell's Gates, the Powers of Heaven will not be able to assist you. Your own powers will be diminished to near-Mortal levels. All of your Divine powers will disappear. You will have only what gifts you had before your Awakening. The only Angelic qualities you will retain will be your wings, and your power of flight. Your sword will be diminished to a plain blade of merely sanctified steel. You will be Mortal in body; able to be killed, though you are in warrior form."

"I understand," I responded, "Now…how do I follow her to Hell?"

"You must commit a Mortal Sin," Gabriel answered, "Though it saddens me to divulge how to damn yourself. You must choose one of the six of the remaining Seven Sins. You are immune to damnation for Wrath, for that is your title. You must choose from Sloth, Greed, Envy, Lust, Pride, or Gluttony. Though I pray for your success, should you choose this path, you do so against my sternest warnings."

"I understand, Gabriel," I said, "But I must do what I can to save her. I love her more than anything in _this_ world or any other. I want nothing more than to be with her and…"

Here, I froze, for I realized just how I could follow Rei's soul into Hell. I fought down all of my inhibitions and reservations and went for the gusto.

"I want nothing more than to fulfill my lustful desires and have sex with this woman all day and night!" I said heartily, fully meaning every word I said. I started laughing loudly. This drew Samael's attention.

"What's _that_ I hear?" I heard him crow, "Do I hear a _Seraph_ talking about lustful _sex_?! Boys, I think we've got something more _important_ to deal with, now! Take him! Bring the Guardian along, too. She belongs with him in Hell!"

A hundred demons swarmed over me. I didn't fight them; I didn't even bother trying, though my skin crawled with revulsion at their touch. Samael crowed with laughter as the Cherubs wept. Five demons scooped up Rei's dying form and carried us back to the Hellmouth. As they carried me down into the rift, I had a flash of fear. I was going somewhere where no Mortal, or half-Mortal, had ever gone to alive and returned unscathed. I was going straight to Hell; in a hand-basket of my own making, and I feared that I may never escape.

**A.N.: Well, how about that? He's gone to Hell! I don't quite know how to continue off of that; it's such an epic event! What do you say: Continue, or end the story here and let him rot in Hell? You tell me! I'll have a poll on my profile page and you can leave your vote. Also, feel free to leave your opinion in a review!**


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